Shadows of Almia: The Aura Wars
by Sese Daniels
Summary: Kate Hitomi is an aspiring girl who wishes to become a Pokemon Ranger. She makes friends, but is very cautious around them. Why? Because they can't find out about her secret, no matter what. Can she trust them? Probably not. This secret is a pretty big one, which may result in her friends rejecting her. Kate knows that she can't risk it, or can she? [Kate, Keith]
1. Chapter 1: First Day!

**This is a Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia Fanfic! MY FAVORITE POKEMON GAME EVER! Vatonageshipping was my childhood ship, you better believe I'm obsessed. Pokemon Ranger 2 was the best spin-off EVER! I was inspired by Riley Sky to write this, she's the best author in existence I swear! By the way, when I first played the game, I thought Rhythmi's name was spelled, "Rhythimi." I have no idea why...so I just wanted to say that that's how her name will be spelled in this book, so don't try to correct me. I know it's technically wrong, but just humor me.**

**Disclaimer: Sese Daniels does ****NOT**** own Pokemon, nor its characters! Also, disclaimers are stupid. If I owned Pokemon, I wouldn't be posting my stuff on here, now, would I?**

**Claimer: I own all changes to the plot...yeah you guys get it. Also, I own my original character, "Juliette."**

**I do cuss...but I swear it's really not that bad! It's just to express myself and emotions better...you've been warned. Please don't judge me harshly for that!**

**Anyways…read, review, and enjoy!**

* * *

**(Kate's POV)**

Hi! My name is Kate Hitomi. I'm 15 years old, and I want to be a Pokemon Ranger! Not only that, but...I have a secret that no one else knows...not even my family. It's something that I've never told anyone, and I probably won't ever tell. It's something that I protect with my life, but eventually, I'm sure that I will have to tell someone. And this...is my story.

"Hehehehe. My name, it is Kaplan. You are now a member of our secret army, the inscrutable Team School. Together, we shall rule the world..." Mr. Kaplan cackled evilly, slowly emerging from the shadows. He tilted his hat up far enough so that I could begin to make out his face. All in all, it was very creepy and unsettling.

...did he really just say that or was I imagining it...?

"MR. KAPLAN!"

Oh Arceus I think I just went deaf... From the looks of it, Mr. Kaplan just did too...Wait, why is he backing into a corner...? Ah...? Never mind...

"Please don't tease my student with a silly performance like that!" The woman stomped her foot, seeming to be very frustrated. "I swear, how many times do I have to tell you..." The woman started ranting, rubbing her temples in attempt to rid herself of a headache. From the looks of it, she's pretty ticked off. She had long auburn hair, and was wearing a green blouse with a white pencil skirt.

Mr. Kaplan responded, very sheepishly at that. "Ahahaha sorry, sorry. The timing was just too perfect to miss, Ms. April." He sweatdropped, then redirected his attention over to me. "Ahem... Congratulations! You have passed the Ranger School's entrance exam with flying colors! Actually, wait...this can't be right...?" He blinked, doing a double-take at the sight of the time on his stopwatch.

Uh oh. What did I do wrong this time?

"Kate, do you realize what you've done?!" Mr. Kaplan started to freak out at me, he was clearly ecstatic about something.

Well, obviously not...

I just sweatdropped, squeaking out a reply. "Ermmm...Ah...No?"

Commence teacher flipping out in 3...2...1...

"YOU HAVE BEATEN THE SCHOOL'S RECORD WITH A CAPTURE SCORE OF FIVE SECONDS!" Mr. Kaplan practically snapped his clipboard in half from shock, then dropped it to the floor with his jaw agape.

I just raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Is that not normal...? I mean, it was just a Pikachu, nothing extraordinarily difficult..." I stumbled over my words, not entirely sure about what I was supposed to say.

Ms. April joined Mr. Kaplan and dropped her jaw, while they both just kinda gawked at me. Talk about unsettling... Then, Ms. April broke the awkward and unnerving silence. Arceus bless her...

"Well, that was quite an impressive capture, I'm sure you're going to get along here quite well!" Ms. April clapped her hands together, clearly feeling positively upbeat. "Congratulations on being accepted! Starting today, you are officially a student of the Ranger School. I'm Ms. April, your classes teacher. I'm pleased to meet you." Ms. April smiled at me, and I could've sworn I saw a flash of crazy gleam in her eyes.

I just sweatdropped. This crazy lady is now my teacher for the rest of the school year? Oh-kay then...

"It's nice to meet you, too! My name is Katellina Hitomi, but you can just call me Kate!" I introduced myself, shaking her hand. I'm not sure why I just said my full name, why the heck did I do that? I never do that! Gosh I'm so nervous...urrgh I'm even rambling to myself in my head! Agh...Kate! Pull yourself together!

Katellina, I know. It's a stupid name. I hate it, so I go by Kate. Not Katellina, not Katie, not Kitty Kat...just Kate.

"Alright then, Kate! Your classmates are waiting for you, I'll show you to your class." Ms. April ushered me towards the door of the gym, holding it open for me.

I stepped outside and onto the campus with Ms. April right behind me. Well, this has been quite an eventful day, guess it can't get any worse.

Oh how wrong I was.

* * *

**(Keith's POV)**

Great, just great. A new kid.

Well, it's not like they'll be any competition for me, anyways. I mean, they might just end up being an Operator, Scientist, or Mechanic, right? Seriously, what're the odds that this guy is gonna be a Ranger student that is actually going to give me a challenge? HAH! A million to one! Someone giving me a challenge? What was I thinking! That'll never happen. No one is better than me, impossible. I'm the top of my class! Oh great. That annoying blonde is trying to get my attention.

"KEITH!" Rhythimi screamed, proceeding to flick me in the forehead.

**Flick!**

"OW, RHYTH! WHAT THE HELL?!" I screamed back at her, rubbing my throbbing forehead. Damn, she flicks hard...

"I've been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes! (Gee...didn't notice...) Ms. April is about to walk into class with the new student, and she's gonna be mad if she finds you spacing out again in class!" Rhythimi scolded me, slamming her fist down on my head after each sentence.

"OW OW OW OW OW!"

Like hell I care. And as if on cue, Ms. April entered the classroom and went to the front, probably to make an announcement of some sort. "Alright, good morning class, now as some of you may already know...we have a new student joining our class today." Ms. April announced with enthusiasm, clapping her hands together.

Commence the class going into an uproar of random questions in 3...2...

"Is it a guy? Or a girl? Which is it?"

...too late.

"Is the new student cute? Cool? Or look like a celebrity?"

"Is this student gonna be nice, or annoying like Keith?" Juliette asked, shooting me a smirk and a sideways glance.

Hey, wait a second... "HEY!" I yelled at her, receiving an idiotic grin from Juliette. Kellyn just snickered at me, listening to this conversation.

"Now that's enough!" Ms. April yelled, commanding all attention from everyone in the room. "Why don't you just find out for yourselves? Come on in!" She waved her hand at the classroom door, clearly giving someone a signal to walk in.

Everyone, including me, directed their attention to the door as a girl walked in. She was average height, maybe about 5'2. She had short spiky brown hair that was tied up into two pigtails. The one characteristic that caught my eye the most, however, were her sapphire blue eyes. Of course, she was wearing the Ranger School Uniform, and was not actually all that bad looking...wait a sec... WHAT AM I THINKING?!

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Kellyn. "Kate?!" He shot up from his chair, nearly falling over. His jaw crashed to the floor so fast, it was almost blurry.

"Kellyn?!" She seemed just as surprised, blinking repeatedly. You could tell that they were both obviously caught off guard by seeing each other. Wonder why?

Kellyn sprang from his desk and practically tackled the girl. (Kate, I think was her name...) He hugged her so tightly that her face was starting to turn blue. Yowch...that could not be comfortable.

"Kellyn...love you too brother, but... GASP...air!" Kate was choking and desperately gasping for air, trying to get Kellyn to stop strangling the life out of her.

Wait, back up. Brother...? KELLYN HAS A SISTER? AND THAT'S HER? Oh this is going to be a long year.

* * *

**(Kate's POV)**

"Kellyn...love you too brother, but...GASP...air!" I sputtered out the words, trying to pry his stupid muscle-y arms off of my throat.

"Oh, right!" He sweatdropped, abruptly releasing me and letting me drop to the floor. "Eheh...sorry sis." He looked at me kind of sheepishly, grinning like an idiot. Kellyn just awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

I just rubbed the back of my neck, still recovering. "Gosh. You have quite the death grip, now, don't you?"

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by an impatient Ms. April. "Ahem! Sorry to break up this touching moment...but I think it's time our new student introduced herself to the class now." She impatiently tapped her foot on the ground, putting her hands on her hips.

New student? Oh yeah, she meant me. I just facepalmed at my forgetfulness.

"Oh, right! Sorry!" I replied sheepishly, walking up to the front of the classroom. I never was good at public speaking...well, here goes nothing. I stopped at her desk and spun around, facing the class. "Hello, everyone! My name is Kate Hitomi, and Kellyn over there is my twin brother! I'm from Ringtown, Fiore, and I want to become a Pokemon Ranger!" I introduced myself, enthusiastically punching the air with my fist.

As soon as I said that, a spiky red haired guy snickered. I then proceeded to glare at him. He mumbled to himself, _"Yeah, you'll definitely be just like any other ordinary girl, nothing special."_ I heard him, and boy was I ticked off.

I retorted, "Yo, red head!" I sassily placed one hand on my hip, gaining his immediate attention. "If you've got something to say to me, why don't you just say it to my face before I smack that smug little grin of yours right off of your damn face!" He looked at me kind of startled (at first) then he leaned back into his chair and smirked. I figured it would probably be best to avoid him from now on, something about that guy just gets on my nerves. I didn't even notice that the other classmates were just staring at me wide-eyed, gawking at me. Well, everyone except for Kellyn, who just proceeded to laugh his ass off. Oh well. Who cares about what they think of me, anyways? I know I sure don't.

And then the silence was broken once again by Ms. April. "Ahem. Well, uh... Anyways, Kate here is our new classmate and I expect for everyone to treat her nicely. I understand she scored quite well on the entrance exam and...Keith? Why the big grin?" Ms. April trailed off, staring at said red head for a moment. Sure enough, he had a broad grin that stretched from ear to ear. She just shook it off and continued her speech. "Anyways, we had better get you seated somewhere, Kate." She turned her attention to me. "You can have the seat next to Keith."

I looked around the room and noticed the only seat open was next to...that stupid, hot headed red head. Well, this is going be a long year. I went over and sat in the desk, grumbling incoherent things to myself.

"Ok, well that will do." Ms. April smiled, putting a hand on her hip. "That's it for treating you like a new transfer student. From now on, you're all my students, people whom I can take pride in teaching. Let's do it everyone... Let's not fail your dreams of becoming Rangers, Operators, Scientists, and Mechanics!" She punched the air, enthusiastically.

"YEAAAH!" Everyone in the classroom proceeded to shout. I swear to Arceus if I wasn't deaf before, I certainly am now...

"Ok, I'll change the class schedule specially for today." Ms. April announced, collecting a few papers off of her desk. "This will be a free study class. But before I go, Kate... I need to explain something to you." Ms. April spun around on her heel, walking back over to me.

Oh brother...what now? She then proceeded to explain to me how to use my Styler. I already knew about everything she said, so I just politely smiled and nodded as she lectured me on how to use my Styler, that way I wouldn't come off as rude. I completely spaced out during her lesson...eheh... I just sweatdropped at how she somehow figured out how to drag this out into a fifteen minute lecture.

"Oh please, Keith..." Ms. April glared at someone behind me, peering around me to look at them.

Hmm? What's going on?

"Don't yawn with your mouth wide open like that." She lectured in a strict tone, pointing an accusing finger at Keith.

Huh, something me and the red head actually agree on...erm...was it...Keith? Yeah, yeah that's his name. Maybe we'll be able to get along after all...or not. What am I thinking? That's actually a good question. Why am I thinking about this? Who knows, oh wait...I think Ms. April's wrapping things up now, better tune back into the conversation now.

"Well, that turned into quite the lesson... Are you overwhelmed?" HAH! No not really...since I wasn't really listening... "Sorry! Really, you should just try things out for yourself and see how they work out. After all, nothing beats experience. It's all about trying." She beamed at me, brimming with enthusiasm. "Rhythimi, can I get you to show Kate around school, please?" She asked, directing her attention away from me and to this perky looking blonde girl, who I assumed was Rhythimi.

Rhythimi replied with cheer, "I sure will!" She looked over at me, and we awkwardly made eye contact. She flashed me a bright smile, waving at me in a friendly manner. I just nervously waved back with a sheepish grin.

"Alright then." Ms. April began. "I'll be in the Staff Room grading papers if anyone needs me. I'll leave you to it." She then walked out of the classroom and...Oh jheeze, I'm surrounded!

Before I knew it, everyone got up and surrounded me, asking me a lot of questions... Meanwhile, I'm trying to keep my cool and talk to my brother Kellyn, so we can catch up. After all, the last time I saw him was ten years ago...

* * *

**~Flashback Sequence, 10 years ago~**

_"Ahhhhh! Noooooo! Kellyn! Don't leave me, please! You can't! We're twins...we have to stay together! First Mom and Dad go to this...better place, whatever that is... Now you can't leave me, too!" I looked up at my brother, sobbing and bawling my eyes out._

_He was standing in front of me, also crying, when he managed to force out a reply. "I'm so sorry, Sis! I asked them to adopt you, too, but they only want one kid! There's nothing I can do!" He fell down to the floor, right next to me. He burst into tears. We hugged each other one last time before Kellyn's new adopted parents picked him up and took him away from me... Little did I know it would be ten years before I ever saw my brother again._

* * *

**~Back to Present Day~**

Suddenly my thoughts were interrupted by an annoying, somewhat familiar voice.

"Hey, new kid!"

Oh brother, the red head. Thought that sounded familiar. I just mentally groaned and facepalmed, immediately regretting this unavoidable encounter.

"I forgot your name, but how long did it take for you to catch the Pikachu? Like an hour?" He asked in a sarcastic and somewhat mocking tone, smirking idiotically. He was practically radiating stupidity and arrogance.

That's it, I've had it with this jerk. I've spoken to him literally one time and I already despise his existence. Next thing I know, my temper takes over and I spin around on my heel, looking at him dead on in the eyes. "Actually." I started off in a calm, cool, and collected tone.

I heard Kellyn mumble, "Oh great, brace yourself for Kate's wrath." I chose to ignore that comment for now and continue my come-back to Keith.

"Hardly any time at all. I captured it in under five seconds, apparently breaking the school's capture record. They made a big deal about it, but...it's not like it was a challenge for me, anyways." I smirked as I finished my retort, defiantly crossing my arms.

His eyes just went wide. I thought to myself, _"HAH! Take that, jerk!"_ And then he recovered from his shocked look and started to smirk. I saw Kellyn out of the corner of my eye sigh in relief that I didn't go into, as he used to call it, "CRAZY KATE MODE!"

Then, Rhythimi spoke up. "Keith's just a show off. You're better off ignoring him." I couldn't agree more. I turned to face Rhythimi, she continued. "Instead, you should be paying attention to me! I'm not here to become a Ranger. I want to become an Operator, instead! So when Keith becomes a Ranger, I can boss him around all I want...enslaving him for all of eternity!" She ended her mini-speech with an evil grin, and I swear that I saw a dark aura radiate from her for a brief moment.

I just laughed at her joke, I like this girl already. I can already tell who my best friend is going to be! Then, I heard a shout from behind me.

"LIKE HELL I'M EVER GONNA LET THAT HAPPEN, BLONDIE!" Keith screamed at Rhythimi, his faced reddened with anger. Someone is clearly short tempered...

Does everyone in this school want me to go deaf?! Arceus help me...

"Just joking!" Rhythimi sang, taking my arm and Kellyn's. She then whispered to us, "Yeah, no. I was totally being serious about enslaving him for all of eternity." All three of us snickered as we left the classroom, leaving everyone else behind.

Kellyn slowly broke off and walked away from our trio, heading upstairs. Wonder where he was going?

"Alright, Kate! Let me take you on a tour of the Ranger School! Let's begin!" Rhythimi began, she was radiating enthusiasm. "So, that was our classroom, and you've already met our teacher. She's really nice, just...don't make her mad...Ok?" She gave me an unsure look, hoping that I wasn't a trouble maker. Which I am.

Well...no promises on that.

Rhythimi dragged me across the hallway, over to another classroom. "This is the other class, Mr. Kincaid's room. He's very uptight and strict. He's the 'No running in the Hallways,' Police. That's what the students call him, anyways!" Rhythimi laughed, playfully punching my shoulder. "That's like his pet saying... Don't let him catch you, or he'll give you detention in a heartbeat and lecture you for hours on end about the dangers of running in the hallways." Rhythimi was practically dripping with sarcasm, rolling her eyes and making mocking hand gestures.

Great. Looks like I'll be getting in trouble with him sooner or later. I don't exactly play by the rules. Wait a second... "Rhythimi?" I looked at her, kind of puzzled. I was sort of confused about something.

"Yeah, Kate?" She turned to look at me, mirroring my confused facial expression.

I just sweatdropped. "Why are we just standing outside his classroom awkwardly and not going inside..." I asked her, glancing at the door. I could make out parts of an ongoing lecture, something about the importance in choosing the right brand of hairspray...wait what?

Rhythimi smirked and rolled her eyes, brushing me off. "He practically drowns himself in hairspray, so I didn't want you to die on your first day!" She explained casually, then giggled at the thought of 'Death by Hairspray.' "Plus, if you can avoid confrontation...make sure you do." She warned me, shooting me a stern look. That's how I knew she was being totally serious.

Noted.

Something has been bothering me this whole time, today. Is...is everyone going to find out about me? People keep secrets for a reason...I just hope no one figures out mine. I mean, what if I'm discovered? Urrgh, Kate...pull yourself together! Think positive! Wait...what if I make friends? Of course, that's not the bad part... What if I make friends, they find out about my little...er, secret...and then they reject me? Gosh...that's a scary thought. I would be completely and totally heartbroken! I can't let that happen! I just can't...I have to avoid that at all costs...meaning that I'll just have to never tell anyone the truth about me, ever.

"Ok, and this is the Library! Also known as Keith's napping room!" Rhythimi cheerfully spun around in a circle, pulling me inside of the Library.

Huh? When did we get over here? Oh never mind...I guess I got lost in my own thoughts for a bit too long.

"Oh, look! There's Isaac! Let me introduce you!" She pointed at a blonde guy with mushroom looking hair in the back of the Library, he looked pretty engrossed in a book. He was reading pretty quickly, and I estimated he was reading about six pages per minute. Wow...that's impressive. He must be really smart.

Rhythimi walked up to him, calling his name a few times. He didn't seem to notice, as I expected. Rhythimi started to look pretty annoyed. After several minutes of Rhythimi desperately trying to get the boy's attention, she snapped. And then...it happened. She lost her temper, smacking the book up into his face with full force.

**WHACK!**

Who would've thought she had a temper? Now I like her even more! I think we'll get along just fine.

"ISAAC! STOP READING FOR ONE SECOND AND PAY ATTENTION!" Rhythimi shrieked like a banshee, scolding him.

The boy called Isaac looked pretty startled, and somewhat injured from having a book smashed into his face by Rhythimi. I was trying my best to suppress laughter...and definitely failing. Isaac just rubbed his sore nose, not even looking irritated in the least. "Rhythimi, you startled me! I was doing an eight digit multiplication problem in my head when you..."

She didn't waste any time cutting him off. "Earth to boy genius~!" She sang, teasingly. Bopping him on the head. Isaac just shook his head, as if he was snapping out of it. Again, he didn't look annoyed in the slightest. How did this guy not get angry at all? He just remained calm and patiently listened to Rhythimi. Only Arceus knows...wait a sec...Is that a blush I see creeping up on his face?

"Sorry Rhythimi for ignoring you..." Isaac apologized, looking down in shame. In a way, he sort of reminds me of a puppy. "Oh? Who's this?" He turned to face me, looking at me with a puzzled expression. He just now noticed I was here? Wow.

"THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO TELL YOU!" Rhythimi shrieked again, then the bipolar-ness kicked in and she became completely bubbly once again. "This is Kate! Our new student and my new best friend!"

New best friend? Guess that's been decided for me. It's not like I'm against the idea, anyways.

"Oh. It's a pleasure to meet you, Kate." He smiled at me, shaking my hand. "I'm Isaac, I'm studying to become a Scientist. I'm one of Rhythimi's friends out of the five...well I guess now that you're here, it would be the six of us." Isaac caught his mistake, quickly correcting it.

Six of us? Huh?

Rhythimi picked up on my confused look almost immediately. "That's right! There's six of us!" She started to explain, counting off names with her fingers. "Me, you, Kellyn, Isaac, Juliette, and Keith!" She grinned like an idiot, placing her fists on her hips in a childish manner.

Is this girl a mind reader!? Wait...did she say Keith? Great, just great. I mentally cursed myself, knowing full well that I'm going to have to tolerate that idiot for the rest of the school year. "Ok, so I've met just about everyone you mentioned, at least for one second...Except, uh...Rhythimi? Who's Juliette?" I asked her wish a sheepish look, awkwardly scratching the back of my head.

As if on cue, a black-haired girl with grey eyes came running in, dragging someone with her...wait...was that Kellyn? Yep, yep it was. So that's where he went...Maybe I'll finally be able to talk to him! It's not like I've been waiting to see him for ten years or anything...*cue mental eye roll*

"That's Juliette." Rhythimi pointed out. Gee, couldn't have guessed.

She came storming over to me, Rhythimi, and Isaac, dragging poor Kellyn with her. "RHYTHIMI!" She shrieked, very high pitch and obnoxious like. Someone looks ticked off... I then noticed the sheepish look on Kellyn's face. Looks like someone's in trouble. I held back laughter as I just watched the scene unfold before me.

"What did Kellyn do this time, Juliette?" Rhythimi sighed, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes. Something tells me that this wasn't anything unusual. Wait...This time? Sounds like my brother grew up to be the mischievous type. Doesn't surprise me for one second. I mean, he is my brother, after all.

"He took my camera and hid it somewhere in the school, and he won't tell me where it is!" Juliette whined, blowing a strand of hair out of her face in annoyance. She was practically boiling with rage, but she seemed more frustrated than anything. "And not only that, but is was Steve! Camera number 27!"

Steve? Camera 27...?

"Kellyn..." Rhythimi started her lecture, scolding him in a mom-like tone. "Are you crazy? You know how Juliette is with her cameras! What on earth possessed you to take her camera?! AND ESPECIALLY STEVE?! YOU KNOW STEVE IS HER FAVORITE!" She glared at him, taking Juliette's side. "I know that you like to mess with her, but that's like signing a death wish!" She slapped her forehead, slowly dragging it down her face.

"Oh, believe me. I know exactly what I've gotten myself into." Kellyn replied sheepishly, nervously glancing at his arm that had Juliette's nails digging into it.

Owch, looked painful. I was suddenly compelled to join the conversation, figured it would be wise before this, "Juliette" girl rips my brother's arm off before I even get a chance to catch up with him. "Hey, Juliette?" I spoke up, gaining her attention.

"Huh?" She turned around to face me, she must have not noticed me before now.

Shoot. I need some sort of excuse to get her to let go of Kellyn, and fast...think...Aha! Got it! It's a good thing I have a gift of reading people and predicting their reactions, it seriously comes in handy sometimes. I put my arms behind my back and slumped a little. I then looked down at the floor, kind of ashamed. Kellyn immediately picked up on what I was doing, starting to look a little relieved. "I know that my brother is an idiot and all, but I hope that doesn't affect your future friendship with me. That is, if you even want to be friends with someone related to Kellyn... I hope he hasn't caused you to misjudge me in any way..." I looked up at her, bringing out my cute sad eyes that no one on earth could resist.

She looked at me very confused at first. And then she made eye contact with me. Ok, get ready to brace yourself in 3, 2, 1...

"OH MY GOSH YOU ARE THE CUTEST THING!" Juliette girlishly shrieked, very loud in volume. Told yah. She let go of Kellyn, who dramatically fell to the floor. Juliette then enveloped me in a death-grip hug and continued to shout to me. I'm pretty sure that it slipped her mind that we were in a library. "OF COURSE I'LL BE FRIENDS WITH YOU I PROMISE OH MY ARCEUS KELLYN YOU NEVER TOLD ME YOU HAD A SISTER AND YOUR SISTER IS SO ADORABLE AND I JUST LOVE HER TO DEATH ALREADY OH MY ARCEUS WE ARE GOING TO BE THE BEST OF FRIENDS FOREVER AND EVER..."

The rest of Juliette's psycho-ranting started to seem really distant and I couldn't quite make out what she was saying... Oh, that's probably because she's choking me. Lovely.

"Choking...not...BREATHING!" I gasped, trying to make Juliette release my throat from her death grip. What is up with everyone choking me today? Seriously?

"Juliette, let go of Kate before you choke her to death!" Kellyn got up from the floor and managed to separate me and Juliette. Thank you, thank you, thank you...

Rhythimi and Isaac just kinda awkwardly stood there, watching the scene unfold before them. Juliette sheepishly apologized over and over again. I just continued to assure her it was fine, occasionally rubbing my now-sore throat.

"Hey, Juliette?" I spoke up, gaining the dark-haired girl's full attention.

"Yeah, Kate?" She quickly spun around, nearly falling over. Hmm, looks like I'm not the only klutz here.

"After Rhythimi is done showing me around the school, I'll help you look for your camera and beat up my brother later!" I offered, grinning at her. Juliette's face lit up like a light at the mentioning of strangling my brother. Poor Kellyn...you're totally screwed.

"Hey, wait a sec! Two against one?! That's no fair, guys!" Kellyn started to flip out, panicking like a little girl.

"Thanks! I'd like that very much!" Juliette gladly accepted my offer, shaking my hand with a bright smile.

"OH MY GOSH THE TOUR!" Rhythimi broke out of her trance, dragging all four of us to the Staff Room.

Rhythimi, Isaac, Kellyn, and Juliette continued to show me around the school. They showed me the Staff Room and introduced me to our principal, Principal Lamont. I also met Janice, who showed me around the dorms upstairs. Apparently, Janice is our caretaker, who is like a mom to us all. She seems pretty nice. Rhythimi took me outside to see Ms. Claire to teach me about target clears. As all five of us exited the gym, then that's when we heard a scream...

"Ahhhh! Someone please help me! The Bidoof are out of control!"

Huh? Wait a sec...that's Janice! Next thing I know, I see a bunch of the school's Bidoof panicking and rampaging around the campus.

"Hey, new kid!" That familiar and obnoxious voice rang through my ears like a loud bell. Again, I just internally groaned.

Oh great...

Keith came outside and ran up to me and the others. What does this jerk want now?

"I forgot your name, not like I care anyways." Keith started off, rolling his eyes. Yep, definitely a jerk. "Anyways, how about a capture contest?" Huh? Contest? "Whoever captures the most Bidoof wins!" Keith suggested, posing arrogantly. He clearly thought he was going to win this.

"Oh you're so on, red-head!" I laughed, excited about this little challenge. Maybe my victory will put the arrogant jerk in his place! Or it could totally backfire and do just the opposite...nah. I whipped out my Styler, and the capture challenge began. Next thing I know, we're running around the campus, capturing Bidoof left and right. I noticed my friends standing off to the sidelines, just watching the capture contest. Rhythimi was flipping out at Keith for not bothering to remember my name and being a jerk to me. Isaac was restraining Rhythimi and trying to keep her from attacking Keith, reassuring her violence wasn't the best answer. Kellyn and Juliette were cheering me on, clapping and shouting words of encouragement.

"Yes, I won!"

Huh?

We were standing in the middle of the campus, assessing our captures. I had four Bidoof, and Keith had...five. Dammit, there is no way he is ever going to let me live this down.

"Hey." Someone grabbed my shoulder. Turning around, I see...Keith? Huh? "You know, Kate, you're actually not that bad at capturing." He complimented me, flashing me a slight grin.

Wait. Hold up...What? Did Keith just say something nice to me? And did he just call me by my name?

"KEITH YOU IDIOT YOU KNEW HER NAME ALL ALONG!" Rhythimi began screaming at Keith, who had a sheepish look on his face as the rest of us just sweatdropped...not at Rhythimi's psycho-ranting, but at how she somehow magically materialized a sledgehammer out of thin air and started chasing after Keith with it. "Hey, wait. I forgot to show you one more place, Kate!" Rhythimi regained her composure, dropping the sledgehammer. We all just stared at her, sweatdropping at her bipolar nature.

Keith butted in, "You mean Ascension Square?" He asked, rejoining our little group in the middle of the campus.

How can this place go from complete chaos to totally normal in a split second?! Looks like I'm going to have to get used to this insanity...

"Yes!" Rhythimi answered his question, smiling brightly.

"Then I'll come too." Keith shrugged his shoulders, replying casually as if nothing crazy had just went down literally five seconds ago.

Next thing I know, I'm being whisked away by Rhythimi down a bunch of stairs with Keith right behind me; Isaac still looking somewhat disturbed by Rhythimi's bipolar attitude; and Kellyn and Juliette whispering to each other and snickering. Oh great, that last part can't be good... Keith and Rhythimi showed me around Ascension Square and told me that's where the five...well, six of us, all hang out. They showed me the Pledge Stone, explaining to me how if students pledge to something here, it always comes true.

"NO, I WANT TO BE FRIENDS WITH KATE!" Rhythimi got all up in Keith's face, defiantly crossing her arms. She was pretty ticked off, and her face was reddened from anger.

"NO WAY, RHYTH! WHY WOULD SHE BE WANT TO FRIENDS WITH A BIPOLAR BLONDE LIKE YOU!?" Keith retorted, shouting right back in her face. He looked equally ticked off, and his eyebrows were furrowed in frustration.

Oh what now? Keith and Rhythimi were...fighting over me? What? I just closed my eyes and facepalmed, shaking my head. I quickly regained my bearings and ran up to them, placing myself in between the two. "HEY GUYS!" I shouted at them, commanding their attention. "I'll be friends with both of you. All five of you, actually. Just calm down, now, will you!" I scolded them, exasperated. They all looked pleased with my answer.

"Hey guys, let's make a pledge!" Rhythimi suggested, punching a fist into the air.

"I'm for it." Kellyn agreed with a shoulder shrug, walking over to us with Juliette and Isaac.

"I pledge to be the best Operator there ever was!" Rhythimi started it off, smirking confidently.

"I pledge to be the best Ranger the world has ever seen!" Keith said, very arrogantly. Cocky much? He did a back flip, which I assumed was his Ranger pose.

"I pledge to be the best Scientist I can be, and help make a brighter future for Almia." Isaac pledged, nodding his head with a smile. I could've sworn I caught him glancing at Rhythimi when she wasn't looking.

"I pledge to protect the Pokemon and people by being the best Ranger I can be!" Juliette chimed in, placing one hand on her hip and punching the air with the other.

"And I pledge to be stuck with Juliette and Ranger Partners with her forever, so I can annoy her as long as she lives!" Kellyn pledged with a cocky smirk, nervously glancing at Juliette for her reaction.

Everyone busted out laughing. Except for Juliette, of course. We all just sweatdropped as Juliette chased Kellyn around the square, hitting him with a baseball bat. Wait...where did she get...? Never mind, I'm not even going to ask...

"Wait, Kate hasn't pledged yet!" Rhythimi pointed out, shoving me into the middle of the circle.

Hmm? Oh yeah. "Well..." I started off, sort of nervously. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO SAY?! "I uh... Pledge for us all to always be friends forever and stick together?" I made my pledge really fast and nervous sounding, just wanting to be over and done with it. I hate public speaking. Pretty sure I mentioned this. Wow I sound lame... Everyone smiled at what I pledged, except for Keith, who just snickered. I guess he's not so bad, after all. And the way the sunset lit up his face made his emerald-green eyes sparkle...wow his eyes are pretty, and really captivating...he's actually...kind of...cute. HOLD ON! WHERE ARE THESE THOUGHTS COMING FROM!? No no no...bad Kate! Don't think these things! He's just a friend...nothing more. Yeesh...where did that come from?

Rhythimi must've noticed it was getting late, so she suggested that we should all go inside soon. "Hey, guys? We should turn in soon, it's getting late."

Why would I think such things? Urrgh...

Everyone started to walk up the stairs and head towards the school, except for Keith and I.

I've never been interested in guys before...so why would something like that pop into my mind now? Stupid, stupid, stupid...this is why I hate random thoughts.

"Hey, Kate?" Keith walked over to me, trying to gain my attention. And failing.

Especially about Keith! He's such a jerk! How could I like him!? Ugh...I'm barely even friends with the guy! Plus, I just met him!

"Kaaaaateeee...?" He waved a hand in front of my face, failing to snap me out of my trance. He was starting to get annoyed.

Wait, no. I don't like him. Nope, no feelings at all. Nuh uh, nada. Nope. I'm rambling to myself in my mind again...dang it. I sound like a crazy person! To myself. In my mind. Ok I really just need to shut up now...

"KATE!" Keith shouted at me, violently shaking my shoulders. This time, I actually did wake up from my trance.

I looked up to see Keith staring at me with a concerned look...those eyes...AGH! Stop it, Kate! I barely managed to squeak out a reply, very nervously. "Uh...yeah, Keith?" I sweatdropped, and he let go of me.

"You ok?" Keith asked, flashing me a concerned look. I noticed that he was actually kind of short, only a couple of inches taller than me. That gives me some leverage to tease him about later...Wait a minute...is he seriously worried about me? "YES! I'M FINE!" I nervously screamed at him. "What makes you think something's wrong!?" I scoffed in a defensive tone, crossing my arms and turning away from him.

He just shot me a weird look, raising an eyebrow in confusion at my eccentric behavior. Keith threw his hands up in defense. "Well...you just kinda seemed a bit, spacey...that's all." He shrugged, walking back in front of me.

Why does he care? Him, of all people? "I'm fine." I replied dryly, without a drop of emotion. I turned, about to head towards the school, but someone grabbed my arm and jerked me backwards.

"Hey, Kate...?" Keith spoke up, releasing his grip on my arm.

"Yeah, Keith?" I asked, rubbing the sore spot on my arm. He might be kind of on the short side, but he sure has quite the grip.

"I'm sorry." He apologized, looking sort of ashamed, yet sincere. He awkwardly ran a hand through his hair, avoiding eye contact with me.

HUH?! Rewind! Did I just hear that correctly? "Sorry...? About what?" I asked, now it was my turn to raise an eyebrow.

"About how I treated you earlier today." Keith began to explain, once again turning around to face me. "I'm not the nicest guy, and I was kind of a jerk to you earlier today. I just wanted to say sorry so that we can be friends, maybe rivals, even. Kellyn is one of my closest friends, so I figured I'd better at least try to be friends with his sister...even though I didn't know he had a sister until today..." He mumbled the last part, probably trying to spare my feelings. Of course Kellyn wouldn't talk about me, memories like that are too painful. We don't discuss it.

Huh? Friends? Did I hear that right? He wants to be friends with me?...what? "Sure...?" I awkwardly replied, not really sure what to say at this moment.

A wide grin stretched across his lips, and I caught myself smiling as well. "RACE YAH BACK TO THE SCHOOL, KATIE!" Keith shouted, taking off running as fast as he could; I could hear him laughing like a maniac off in the distance. Cute moment gone.

Oh he did not just call me Katie. I gritted my teeth, boiling with anger. I bolted right after him, screaming, "HEY! NO FAIR, RED HEAD! YOU GOT A HEAD START!"

Well, this was an eventful day... And little did I know that today...was the day my life would change...

Forever.

* * *

**So…Hi! This was the first Pokemon book I ever wrote (so obviously it's not the best quality in spelling/grammar) I wrote this months ago and posted it on wattpad, and I'm just now putting it on **

**This is the first book I ever wrote, so please go easy on the criticism! I write sooooooooo much better now, I promise!**

**Read, review, and enjoy!**


	2. Chapter 2: Initiation

**(Kate's POV)**

"So, who are you writing to?"

Huh? I looked up to see Rhythimi, who was looking over my shoulder at the letter I was writing.

"Oh, I'm just writing a letter to my Dad back in Fiore, he's a Ranger." I started to explain. "I'm just telling him about my day today before he flips out from not hearing from me, assuming the worst, and coming out to Almia in person just to make sure that I'm not dead." I replied casually, as if that was completely normal.

Rhythimi just sweatdropped. "Uh huh...I see..." She awkwardly replied, unsure of what to say to that. "I wrote a letter to my sister earlier today, her name is Cynthia!" Rhythimi quickly changed the subject, smiling brightly at me. "I miss her and my parents a bunch, so I'm always writing them letters. You have anyone besides your Dad that you write letters to?" She asked me, trying to strike up a conversation.

"Nope, just my Dad." I shrugged my shoulders, making the situation awkward. The atmosphere became so thick that you could probably cut straight through it with a knife.

Rhythimi bit her lower lip, trying to recover from the awkward question. It's not like it's her fault that my Dad is the only family that I have. "I see...well...how about we sneak out for awhile?" She suggested, running a hand through her long blonde hair.

Sounds like fun. "I'm in, what did you have in mind?" I asked her, setting down my in-progress letter and standing up from my desk. I was still in my pajamas (so was Rhythimi) but it's not like that really mattered.

"You'll see!" She snickered, grabbing my wrist and dragging me towards the door. Juliette got up from her bed and joined us, quick to join in on the snickering.

Uh oh, this can't be good. And Arceus only knows how right I was.

* * *

**(Keith's POV)**

"Where are the girls?" I impatiently asked, pacing back and forth out in the Commons Area.

"They're probably just running late, relax Keith. Why are you so impatient? Nervous to see my little sister again, Keithy?" Kellyn smirked at me and snickered, playfully punching me in the shoulder.

"DON'T CALL ME KEITHY! AND HELL NO!" I yelled at Kellyn, also trying to keep my voice down so that we don't get caught. That was probably a stupid decision.

"Look, here they come now." Isaac pointed towards the girls dorm as Juliette, Rhythimi, and Kate walked out.

Well, it's time to get started.

* * *

**(Kate's POV)**

"Erm... What's going on?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Practically everyone was out of their dorm rooms and hanging out in the Commons Area. Keith, Kellyn, Rhythimi, Juliette, Isaac, and a few more students from both classes. All of the lights were off, giving the school an ominous feeling at night. Everyone was whispering to one another, only resulting in making me more suspicious.

"It's time for your initiation." Rhythimi replied, practically shoving me into the room. I stumbled onto the couch, placing myself in between Keith and Kellyn. Initiation? This can't be good... "Don't worry!" Rhythimi quickly reassured me, picking up on my mood. "It's just a test of courage, everyone who's new has to do it, it's no big deal. Even I had to do it." She shrugged it off, making me feel a bit more comfortable.

Test of courage? Now I'm intrigued.

"Oh yes, Rhythimi. We all remember your test of courage." Kellyn said, sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "I think we're all still recovering a little bit from all of the screaming you did." Kellyn joked, causing us all to laugh. Except for Rhythimi, of course. She just huffed and sat down in a chair, occasionally shooting Kellyn a glare.

Keith spoke up next, breaking the awkward tension between Kellyn and Rhythimi. "The rules are simple." He started to explain, obnoxiously ruffling my hair (which was out of its usual pigtails, at the moment) "Four of us have hidden our Stylers in the following rooms; the Library, Staff Room, Ms. April's classroom, and Mr. Kincaid's classroom." He explained.

"All you have to do is find them, and then go to the basement and leave them at the door." Rhythimi chimed in, making it sound so simple. That's it...? Easy enough. "But." She began, standing up from her chair. Great, now what? Rhythimi continued; "It's never safe to go alone, so the person you sit next to has to go with you!" She then looked at Keith with a knowing look.

Huh? What's going on...oh. Oh, Keith has to go with me. Great...

"GWEH! You mean me!" Keith complained, shooting straight up from his seat. He tried to run away, but Kellyn and Isaac were quick to restrain him and bring him back. Something tells me that they were prepared for this sort of reaction. And it looks like Keith had the same thoughts as me. Adventure in the dark with a perverted idiot, that sure sounds appealing...*sarcasm*

"C'mon you two, you better get going!" Rhythimi sang as she practically shoved us both down the stairs. Jheeze, that blonde one is stronger than she looks... I could hear all of the snickering and giggling coming from back up there, everyone was clearly amused by this partnership. Partners? With Keith? Yeah, like that will ever happen or go well...

I was going to attempt to break the awkward silence, but Keith went ahead and did it for me as soon as we reached the bottom of the stairs. There was an abrupt shuffling noise, and it sent a chill up my spine. I spotted a shadow lurking around in the dark, and I'll admit that it did freak me out just a little bit. It seemed a bit creepy, and definitely gave off a sinister feeling.

...

"AHHHHHH! WHAT WAS THAT?!" Keith shrieked like a little girl, practically throwing himself behind me and using me as a shield.

Keith screamed? Could this get any better? Oh yes it could. I approached the shadow that made the shuffling noise that startled Keith, and I just started to laugh. I had to hold my gut because I was laughing so hard, and it took just about all of my strength not to fall to the floor laughing.

"What? What's so funny?" He asked, kind of annoyed. He didn't dare move from his spot a few feet away from me.

"Keith..." I was trying to stop laughing. And failing. I slapped my hand over my mouth, trying to muffle my laughter as best as I could.

"What...?" He warily asked, cautiously approaching me.

"The shadow that made you scream was just...a Bidoof..." I snickered, and this time I actually did fall to the floor laughing.

...

**~Awkward Silence~**

...

"We speak of this to no one..." He muttered, kind of embarrassed. Scratch that, very embarrassed.

Normally, I'd laugh in his face and say something like, _"HELL NO! I'm telling Rhyth and everyone the moment we get back!"_ But, something stopped me... Was Keith...blushing? I felt kinda bad...he was really embarrassed... So instead, I said, "I promise that I won't tell anyone." Why did I feel compelled to help the mortified Keith? Ugh, I think he's growing on me...

We went around from room to room, collecting the Stylers. In the Staff Room, one was around a Pichu's neck (That thing was a pain in the neck to catch, since it kept running away at 100 miles per hour) In Mr. Kincaid's room, it was on top of a shelf, so there really was no challenge there. Well, except for the Zubat that was standing guard in front of it, I had to make a capture there. In Ms. April's room, it was inside of a crate that I used a target clear on. I had to capture a Bidoof for that. Finally, in the Library, the last one was in the back, but I had to target clear some crates in the way to get to it. That target clear took two Bidoofs, but it's not like I didn't appreciate all of the practice I was getting. Keith and I hardly spoke for the rest of the night...it was awkwardly quiet. The only time he would ever speak to me was when he'd tell me to hurry up, or when he'd give me hints as to where the Stylers were hidden. He seemed off in his own little world, like he had his mind on something. That, plus I'm 99.9% sure that he's afraid of the dark. But that's ok, it creeps me out, too. We were completely silent up until we reached the basement. Now here's where things got a little...er...interesting.

Naturally, me being as fearless as I am, I marched my way down to the basement with a reluctant Keith following behind. He eventually caught up, though. I just had to drag him practically the whole way. After I target cleared a couple of crates, we were about to round the corner to put the Stylers down at the door, when all of a sudden...

**CRASH!**

**BOOM!**

**THUD!**

"OW!"

"Sorry!"

I tripped over what felt like a metal tool box, tripped into Keith, and we both fell onto the floor...with me...on top of him... AWKWARD! AWKWARD, AWKWARD, AWKWARD! I quickly scrambled off of him, frantically apologizing as we both blushed from embarrassment. He kept reassuring me everything was fine, it was an accident, but...why was Keith blushing...? Wait...WHY AM I BLUSHING? I was about to think, _"What the hell...?"_ when my thoughts were suddenly interrupted. The basement door swung open, and out came an angry Mr. Kincaid. Shoot. TOTALLY BUSTED!

"KATE! KEITH! WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING DOWN HERE THE BASEMENT IS OFF LIMITS TO STUDENTS AND IT IS SO LATE AT NIGHT YOU BOTH ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE I'M GIVING YOU BOTH DETENTION!"

Busted, dammit...

"Run for it!" Keith shouted as he grabbed my hand and jerked me all the way upstairs. We ran as fast as our legs would carry us, listening to Mr. Kincaid loudly ranting and chasing after us. The adrenaline was the only thing keeping us going at this rate, and we eventually shook off Mr. Kincaid. Good...his detentions are miserable from what I hear. As soon as we got to the top of the stairs, we collapsed. We were panting from running so fast from Mr. Kincaid. We explained what happened to the others. Despite not being able to leave the Stylers at the basement door, I still passed!

And now, I'm going to sleep. But still, I wonder...

Why was Keith blushing?

* * *

**Aaaaaaaand another chapter is done! Do any of you guys read my authors notes, anyways...? Probably not...well, anyways...Sorry this chapter was so short! Well, compared to the last chapter it's kind of short. The last chapter was 19 pages...AND THAT WAS BEFORE I EDITED IT! *dramatically collapses onto floor* that was such a pain to edit...*looks at chapter outline's word count* Oh my gawd one of these chapters is over 14,000 words...UNEDITED! *begins to cry***

**Anyways...I just wanted to say that this book actually is, in fact, complete. It has a total of 34 chapters, I just have to read through them all and edit them. Unfortunately for Serena (not sure why I just talked about myself in third person...that was weird) I wrote this book when my spelling/grammar sucked, so I basically have to re-write THE ENTIRE DANG THING. (Teehee, I underlined it for dramatic effect) Well...yeah. That's pretty much all I had to say. Bye!**

**Read, review, and enjoy!**


	3. Chapter 3: Kate and Kellyn's Past

**(Kellyn's POV)**

"Hey, Kate." I greeted her as she walked in, and I shuffled nervously.

"Hey, Kellyn." She grinned, waving at me with her awkward smile.

I woke up early this morning to see Kate, we had planned to meet this morning to have our official, "Long lost twin brother and sister reunion." Sounds like lame dramatic shit from a soap opera, I know. That's probably because that is exactly what this is.

As soon as I saw her walk into Ms. April's class yesterday, my heart stopped. I hadn't seen my baby sister (Yes, baby sister. I'm older by two minutes) for ten years, but I recognized those blue eyes anywhere. I never thought I would see her ever again. After our parents died in a house fire ten years ago, children's services showed up and got us adopted. Not only was I...no...not only were we both traumatized by that fire and the deaths of our parents, but we were separated and adopted by different families. I remember that day like it was yesterday.

* * *

**~Flashback Sequence~**

_"We're very sorry for your loss, but I'm afraid your parents went to...a better place." The nurse informed me, supportively patting me on the shoulder._

_A better place? Oh no, they didn't mean...Mom? Dad? Did they...? Did they not make it...? Oh no...how am I supposed to tell Kate...? __Kate. __Oh no! Where's my sister!? Did she not make it, too?! __"Where's my baby sister!?" I demanded answers, really starting to panic._

_"Calm down, she's in the hospital room next to yours. I'm afraid she was badly burned, but she'll be ok." The nurse explained, attempting to calm me down. And failing._

_Kate was...burned? Oh no. I have to see her! __"Take me to Kate!" I demanded, full of determination._

_"Oh, I don't know if..." The nurse started to say, but I quickly cut her off._

_"Take me to my sis! I wanna see my sis!" I insisted, starting to get impatient._

_"Ok, if you insist." The nurse held her hands up in defense, leading me out of my hospital room and into Kate's. I quickly ran over to her bedside, and I was taken aback at the sight of her. __She. Looked. Absolutely. Terrible. __Covered in dried crusted blood, scratches, burns, a gash on her leg... __I should've gotten her out of the house sooner. __How did that fire even start anyways? __I don't know, but that's not important right now. Mom and Dad are gone, and now it's my responsibility to take care of Kate._

_"...Kel...Kellyn?" She stuttered as she woke up and saw me._

_Hmm? I glanced down at Kate, noticing that she had woken up. __"Kate! Kate are you ok?!" I frantically asked her, worried out of my mind._

_"I'm ok silly goose!" She giggled. __She obviously doesn't know what happened to Mom and Dad...oh man...I have to tell her. __"Kellyn?" She grabbed my hand and looked at me with a concerned look._

_"Kate... I... I have to tell you something." I started off, I didn't dare make eye contact with her._

_"Can it wait until Mommy and Daddy get here? I wanna see them!" She giggled, already starting to feel better._

_Oh Kate...this is gonna crush her. __"Kate..." I started off, having some trouble with finding the right words. __She looked at me, confused. Completely oblivious to what had happened yesterday. __"Kate, Mom and Dad...well...they're not coming." I just came straight out and told her, bracing myself for her reaction. __She cocked her head to the side along with an eyebrow, giving me a double confused look. __How can I tell her our parents are dead? I'm more mentally mature out of the two of us (only by a little bit) so I understood what happened, but...I can't tell Kate they died in that fire! __But, I have to. __"Mom and Dad had to go to a better place, Kate. They're never coming back...It's just you and me now. I'm sorry." And that's when I started to cry. __And then, it dawned on her what had happened, and then she started to cry, too._

* * *

**~Back to Present Day~**

"It wasn't your fault, you know." Kate started to say, walking up to me. Huh? I tore my eyes away from the floor, looking up at my sister before me. She wore a sympathetic and forgiving smile. "That we got separated...It wasn't your fault. I know you blame yourself for that, so you can stop now." She shot me a skeptical look, crossing her arms.

I just sighed, not buying what she said at all. "But I could've tried harder...I could've made them adopt you, too!" All of a sudden, Kate jumped into my arms and hugged me. I gladly returned it, I missed her.

I missed her a lot.

* * *

**(Kate's POV)**

I hugged Kellyn until he calmed down, I could tell he blamed himself for our separation. I had to make sure he knew it wasn't his fault. "Kellyn?" I spoke up, breaking away and looking up at him.

"Yeah, Kate?" He asked, and it looked as if he was going through some inner turmoil of some sort. Gosh...convincing him that it wasn't his fault is going to be harder than I had originally thought...

"It's ok...what happened, I mean. All that matters is that we found each other again." I just smiled at him brightly, trying to sound reassuring and forgiving.

He looked at me kinda shocked at first, then his eyes got watery and he hugged me tighter. "Now that I've found you sis, I'm never letting you go."

"Ahem. Hate to break up such a touching moment, but Kellyn, you might want to run."

Huh? We spun around and looked to see Keith...awkward. Embarrassed, we both blushed that he saw our little "reunion."

"Wait, Keith...? Why do I have to run?" Kellyn asked, wearing a confused look.

"Because, Juliette found her camera, and she's looking for you to rearrange your face." Keith smirked, clearly amused by all of this.

Kellyn just went wide-eyed, slapping his hands on the sides of his face. "No! Not my face! Noooo my beautiful face!"

"KELLYN!" We heard Juliette shriek, she was getting closer.

Kellyn gulped, spun around, and ran like hell. Yep. Just a normal day at the Ranger School.

"Hey, Kate?" Keith asked, walking up to me.

Arceus...what now? "Yeah, Keith." I asked, dryly. I crossed my arms, and I was clearly showing that I was in a bitter mood.

He just shot me a weird look. "What was that all about? With you and Kellyn, I mean." He asked, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Oh, right. Keith saw our little...discussion.

I quickly forced out a reply, attempting to not raise suspicion. "It was nothing." I was trying to drop the subject, not wanting to have to dig up old wounds.

"Oh, really?" He asked me, flashing me a skeptical look. He paced around me in a circle, studying me to see if I was lying. Which I was. He didn't seem to buy it. There's just no way to hide anything from this guy, now, is there? I quickly spun around, not responding as I tried to make a break for it. "It's just that..." He started to say. "Your name is Kate Hitomi, and his is Kellyn Hajaime. You said that you're twins, yet you both have different last names."

I froze. I really did not want to talk about my past, especially with Keith... He'd probably just tease and make fun of me, and tell the whole school things like, "I didn't get adopted by Kellyn's parents because no one would want me." Like I really want to go through all of that again...

"Kellyn never mentioned he had a sister before. Also, he never talks about his parents, where he's from, and his past." He continued to question me, and he walked over in front of me. Nothing gets by Keith, huh?

I spun around to face him, placing my hands on my hips. "Yeah? Your point is?" I scoffed.

"What happened?" He asked me, being completely sincere.

I froze again. This time, I was facing Keith, so he saw my face go wide-eyed. "I don't want to talk about it." I bitterly retorted, attempting to storm off...again...

He seemed to take the hint and backed off from the subject...for now, at least. "Ok, it's ok. You don't have to tell me. I understand. I'm just looking out for you, that's all."

Looking out for me? Huh? Now he's making me feel guilty for not telling him. Great, the jerk is guilt-tripping me...ugh... "Hey, Keith...?" I softly spoke up, biting my lower lip and turning back around.

He looked at me with a concerned expression, and he still had his hands stuffed into his pockets. "Yeah..?" He asked, sounding kind of hopeful.

I just sighed, I can't believe I'm actually doing this... "I'll tell you. That is, if you really want to know... I hope you can keep a secret." Did I just say that? Why would I feel guilty about not telling him? Ugh, I think he's growing on me; I kind of want to be his friend... Maybe, just maybe... I should give him a second chance? "Let's go outside so no one overhears... I really just don't want this to get out, I'm not even sure why I'm telling you." I explained, dragging him out of the Library.

"Alright, let's go to Ascension Square, then." Keith suggested with a shoulder shrug, ushering me outside.

We walked down to the pier in Ascension square, we still had twenty minutes before class started, so I went ahead and started to tell Keith a little about my past. I figured he has the right to know, being one of Kellyn's best friends and starting to become one of mine. I struggled over my words, this was a touchy subject that I had a hard time talking about. "Ok. So...when we were five years old...our house burned down. No one knows what caused the fire to this day...but...our parents didn't make it. Kellyn and I were the only ones to survive. Actually, if Kellyn didn't come back and carry me out of the house, he would've been the only survivor." I started off in a depressed tone, avoiding eye contact. Keith just looked at me, he was completely shocked. But, there was some other emotion there, too...what was it? I couldn't tell... I then decided to proceed telling my story. "I was badly injured, while Kellyn was not. So, children's services helped Kellyn get adopted first, since I was still in the hospital." Keith flinched. "While I was recovering, a couple went ahead and adopted Kellyn, but not me. They knew about the situation, and that he had a twin sister, but they didn't care. They only wanted a son, and not a daughter." I explained, biting my lower lip. The pain of being unwanted and rejected was all starting to resurface inside of me. Keith flinched again. And there was a hint of that emotion hidden in his eyes. What was it? "Kellyn was adopted within two weeks, and they moved to the Sinnoh region. Meanwhile, no one adopted me for a whole year, and I was put into the foster system, being bounced from home to home. Most of them were foster parents to me just because they got paid to do it, and the others just beat me and blamed me for their misfortunes." I started to tear up remembering all of this...why didn't anyone ever want me? What did I ever do that was so...undesireable? Keith flinched, and looked really ticked off at this. He shut his eyes tight and clenched his fists, gritting his teeth. "Eventually, I was adopted by a Ranger. He was really nice, he's my Dad now. The only Dad I can really remember, at least. I vaguely remember my real parents. My Dad is a Ranger Base Leader in Fiore, which is why I want to be a Ranger someday. He taught me everything about Pokemon and being a Ranger, so that became my dream. He's a great Dad, I couldn't have asked for a better one...but..."

Keith cut me off. "But it wasn't the same without Kellyn."

I flinched at this. Was he a dang mind reader?! I quickly took in a deep breath, regaining my composure. "Yeah. Don't get me wrong! I love my Dad! But, I still missed Kellyn. I figured...If I became a Ranger..."

Again, he cut me off. "That you might've been able to find your brother one day."

Again with the mind reading. "Yeah." I sighed, wiping a stray tear off of my cheek. The wind picked up a little, making me feel a little chill. I quickly rubbed my arms, both to keep me warm and comfort me.

All of a sudden, Keith grabbed my wrist and pulled me into his chest, hugging me tightly. I might've blushed at the abrupt action...might have. "I'm so sorry, Kate. That's terrible, I'm so sorry."

I flinched. Keith had a sensitive side, huh? But still, he really cares...doesn't he? That's...a first. No, seriously! I've never had friends before, so this...this is weird. "You know, before I met you and the others, I never had friends before... And I...I'm grateful for meeting you guys." I mumbled, trying to hold back tears.

Keith flinched again, then just hugged me tighter. And then, I heard a click.

...

Huh?

* * *

**(Keith's POV)**

I can't believe that she went through all of that...that's awful! She was rejected by everyone, and left alone! I got so ticked off hearing her story. I mean, Kate's my friend, goddammit! I wish I had been there for her back then to comfort her. This poor girl. How is it that she... That she could go through something like this... And yet, every day... She puts a smile on her face... How?

**Click!**

Huh?

I looked up and saw Juliette at the top of the stairs, with a camera...oh no... DID SHE JUST GET A PICTURE OF ME HUGGING KATE?! "JULIETTE! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU! GIVE ME THAT DAMN CAMERA!"

"Aww, look! Little Keithy likes Kate, how sweet!" She sang teasingly, running away from me as fast as she could.

I'm pretty sure that you could see a vein bulging from my forehead as my eye twitched. I let go of Kate and started running up the stairs after Juliette. Damn Juliette and her stupid photography hobby...as soon as Kate realized what had happened, she joined me in the chase after Juliette. "I DO NOT LIKE KATE! AND DON'T CALL ME KEITHY! JULIETTE WHEN I GET TO YOU I SWEAR I'LL..." But before I could finish, I tripped over something...or someone...

**WHAM!**

Oww...wait, huh? At the top of the stairs was an unconscious Kellyn laying down on the ground. He had something written on his face with what looked like a Jigglypuff permanent marker. _"How's this for a beautiful face?!"_ was written on his forehead, there was also a monocle and a mustache drawn on as well. No doubt she got a picture of this, I so need a copy as blackmail. "Well, it looks like Juliette got her revenge on Kellyn for stealing her camera, after all." I laughed, and Kate rolled her eyes and snickered. I decided to stop chasing Juliette since it was a lost cause, considering the fact that she had already gotten away... Besides...I had a better idea.

"Hey, Kate?" I smirked, stroking my imaginary beard.

"Yeah, Keith?" She asked me, walking over to my side.

"Wanna help me out with something?" I grinned devilishly at her, not phasing her in the slightest. I looked at Kellyn, then I looked at her, smirking in a sinister way.

"With wha...Oh." She smirked, realizing what I ment.

I never noticed this before, but...Kate is really pretty. I kept getting lost in her eyes when she was talking to me earlier...I swear, every time I look at them, my heart just melts...But why? OH NO. NO NO NO. I DO NOT LIKE KATE! No...I don't...Juliette just got to me...Yeah, that's it...She mentioned that I liked Kate, so that's why I'm thinking about her. Of course I don't! She's just my friend! Where did those thought come from, anyways?

"C'mon, Keith! We have to hurry and finish this before class starts!" Kate yelled to me, trying to get me to hurry up.

"Ok, ok. I'm coming, I'm coming." I replied, rolling my eyes sarcastically.

But seriously...Where did those thoughts come from?

* * *

**Derpppppp. Another chapter is done! Why did I just say derp...? Ahgg...I'm totally losing it. Anyways...next chapter should be on its way soon! At least this one was a bit longer than the last chapter. I'm a lazy person by nature that also happens to be sick at the moment, there's really no telling how long it's going to take me to write this story. Eheh...yeah. Anyways!**

**Read, review, and enjoy!**


	4. Chapter 4: Payback Time

**(Keith's POV)**

"Aww man, that detention was brutal!" Kate whined, dramatically flopping onto the grass in Ascension Square.

"I know! I can't believe Mr. Kincaid gave us a whole week of detention for that basement incident last week!" I replied, sheepishly scratching the back of my head.

"Actually, we only got two days for the basement incident. We got an extra three days for leaving Kellyn in nothing but his boxers tied up to the flag pole when Juliette knocked him out last week." Kate snickered, remembering that day.

I joined in and started to laugh. It was so worth the detention. The look on Kellyn's face when he woke up was priceless, especially when we showed him a mirror. That guy cares about his looks way too much...

**DING DONG! DING DONG!**

That dang bell...time for class. "C'mon, Kate. We have to go to class..." I sighed, looking at the brunette who was pretending to be dead on the grass... Boy did she have a sense of humor.

"I know, I know. I'm coming." She impatiently replied, getting up and starting to walk with me to class.

Is it just me, or did I just see Kate smirk? Hmm. Maybe I just imagined it, then... We weren't even in the classroom for five minutes before we heard a really loud, high pitch, girly scream.

"AIIIIYEAAAAAHHHH!"

What was that...? As if on cue, Mr. Kincaid walked into the class and he...Holy Arceus...his hair. Was. Sparkly. Electric. Blue. I did a double-take and fell onto the floor, laughing my butt off. Whoever did this to Kincaid, I could just kiss them right now. Wow, this was just great! Hmm...wait. If I didn't do this, then who did? Is there another prankster, besides me, at this school...?

"KEITH DAZZLE! I'M GIVING YOU ONE MONTH OF DETENTION FOR RUINING MY HAIR!" Mr. Kincaid shouted, exasperated, running his hand through his ridiculous hair.

Wait what? A month of detention with Mr. Kincaid?! But I'm innocent! "WAIT WAIT WAIT JUST A SECOND!" I started to defend myself, waving my hands around. "Mr. Kincaid, I didn't dye your hair... As funny as this is... I'm afraid I can't take credit for this one." I was failing to suppress laughter, noticing Kate was having the same problem. She managed to keep her cool, unlike me, anyways. Mr. Kincaid just glared at me. But...it was reeeeeeallly hard to take him seriously with hair like that... I mean, it already looked ridiculous enough!

"Mr. Kincaid! That is enough!" Ms. April intervened. "You have no evidence Keith is the one behind this, so don't you dare come barging into my classroom, accusing my student of doing something without any evidence or proof! Plus, if Keith did this, he would definitely take the credit for it." Ms. April sighed, rubbing her temples in annoyance.

As un-teacher-like as that last part sounded, it was so true. I wish I could take credit for this. The praise I would get from everyone...I can't believe I didn't think of doing this before! But, it wasn't me. Wait, so who did do it? Ms. April kicked the whiney Mr. Kincaid out of her classroom and finished up her lesson for the day. As the bell was about to ring, I looked over at Kate. Her eyes were closed, her head was tilted down, and she was smirking devilishly. Wait. Just. One. Second.

...

Did Kate do what I think she did?

**DING DONG! DING DONG!**

Well, I'm about to find out. Everyone rushed out of the classroom, meeting up with their friends gossiping about the latest Mr. Kincaid prank as I ran up to Kate. "Hey, Kate?" I stopped her in the hallway, shooting her a skeptical look.

"Yeah, Keith?" She turned around, tilting her head in confusion.

"Did you..." She cut me off before I could even finish getting my thought out.

"Yeah I did, I got revenge for us both. Promise not to tell?" She smirked at me, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

For us both? "I promise." I smiled and looked down at her. So, Kate was a prankster, huh? Looks like I just found myself a partner in crime, and a new best friend. Strange how a simple prank can bring two friends closer together, huh? I opened my mouth to speak, hesitating for a brief moment. "So, Kate...I was wondering..."

Again, she cut me off. "You want to know how I did it, don't you?"

IS SHE A FREAKING MIND READER?! I calmed myself down before I spoke. "Yeah, c'mon, tell me how you did it... I gotta know!" I playfully punched her shoulder, really trying to get her to open up to me.

"Well..." She started off. "I put permanent electric blue hair dye into Mr. Kincaid's shampoo, dumped a large packet of glitter into all of his hair products, tampered with all of his hairspray cans so that they sprayed glitter, and...I added a little insurance policy to the shampoo." She crossed her arms and smirked devilishly at that last part. Kate was pretty proud of herself for her prank.

Insurance policy? She's a devious one, isn't she? I'm really starting to like this girl. AS A FRIEND OF COURSE NOTHING MORE! Where did that thought come from...? Stupid mind... Wait a second... "Insurance policy?" I asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"I added a little something to the hair dye so that just in case he tried to dye it back blonde, it would turn green." Kate grinned like an idiot, clearly proud of her work.

That's it, I couldn't contain my joy any longer. I was just too proud of her. As soon as we stepped into Ascension Square, I picked up Kate, hugged her, and spun her around. We both just laughed. "You know Kate, you're pretty amazing. We should team up for pranks from now on!" I suggested, setting her down on the grass.

A hint of craziness and determination gleamed in her eyes, making me laugh. "I'm so in! Who should our next victims be?"

As if on cue, both Isaac and Rhythimi walked up to us. I looked at Kate, and she looked at me...then we both looked at each other with a knowing look, smirking at one another.

Partners in crime for life.

* * *

**Woo! Four chapters done! Thirty more to go...UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH *bangs head on desk and stays there* Y'know, this wouldn't suck so much if my chapters weren't so long! Oh well...back to editing! I hope you guys like this story! Let me know if you do! I have several other books, too!**

**Read, review, and enjoy!**


	5. Chapter 5: Outdoor Class!

**(Normal POV)**

"I can't wait to meet the Ranger!" Juliette exclaimed, jumping up and down excitedly.

"I know! You gonna bring your camera, Juliette?" Kellyn asked, grinning idiotically. He leaned sideways closer to Juliette, hovering over her shoulder.

"Well duh, of course!" She giggled, playfully whacking Kellyn upside the head.

"Guys, wait up!" Rhythimi and Isaac cried out in unison, desperately trying to catch up to Kellyn and Juliette.

"THIS IS SO EXCITING OH MY GOSH!" Juliette screamed, spinning around in circles. She was barely able to contain her excitement, as everyone had noted.

"Hurry up, we don't want to be late for Outdoor Class!" Kellyn said to Isaac, stomping his foot impatiently.

"We're coming, we're coming!" Isaac replied with an eye roll, jogging the rest of the way to his two friends.

"Hey guys?" Rhythimi spoke up, just now catching up to the group.

"Yeah?" Everyone else replied in unison, giving her a skeptical, yet curious look.

"Where are Kate and Keith?" Rhythimi asked as they walked outside, tilting her head to the side.

"GIVE ME BACK MY BRA YOU PERVERT!" Kate screamed at Keith while chasing him around the campus, wielding a flamethrower and fully intending to use it.

"NOT UNTIL YOU PUT AWAY THAT DAMN FLAMETHROWER!" Keith shouted at her, running for his life.

"Just another normal day at the Ranger School..." Rhythimi sighed, rubbing her temples and looking at the scene unfolding before her.

"I swear... There's no way those two are just friends." Kellyn smirked, defiantly crossing his arms a little.

"Best friends, to be exact." Issac chimed in, pointing out the obvious.

"Shall we start a pool on when those two are going to get together?" Kellyn suggested casually with a shoulder shrug.

"Twenty poke dollars says by graduation." Juliette scoffed, figuring that her bet was the obvious one that would most definitely win.

"Nah, I think it's gonna be at least a year, I'll put fifteen poke dollars to that." Rhythimi rolled her eyes, thinking that she made the best guess. No matter how much she wished Juliette's bet would come true. Rhythimi has been trying to get Kate and Keith together practically since day one. Those two were everyone's OTP.

"They're way too stubborn to admit and realize their feelings on their own." Kellyn waved off the girls, posing arrogantly. "Thirty poke dollars says it'll be after some major life threatening catastrophe that forces them to realize their feelings for eachother." Kellyn joked, hoping that he didn't just jinx it and something life threatening would actually happen to his baby sister.

And then there was one. They all turned to look at Isaac, smirking and crossing their arms. The girls shot him accusing looks, as if they were just daring him to counter their bet. Kellyn was too preoccupied fixing the ridiculous Buizel-styled cowlick in the back of his hair to join in.

Isaac's face flushed red, the peer pressure was starting to get to him. He then turned away in embarrassment, and his words were muffled. "Ten poke dollars says it takes them two years."

...

**~Awkward Silence~**

...

"Wow, did Isaac just make a bet?" Rhythimi asked, mockingly. She playfully punched his shoulder, but shoved him just a bit harder than she had originally intended.

"You know guys, I've been wondering this whole time..." Juliette started off, gaining the attention of the other three. "Where did Kate even get a flamethrower...?" She asked, awkwardly scratching the back of her head.

Everyone but Kate and Keith just sweatdropped.

* * *

**(Kate's POV)**

After I finally got my bra back from Keith and pushing him into the ocean, me, Juliette, Kellyn, Rhythimi, Isaac, and Keith all walked down the stairs towards Ascension Square, right as the Outdoor Class was about to start. There was a tall, brunette Ranger with an...Afro? (Ok then...) ...standing in the middle of Ascension Square with a bunch of teachers and students around him. He had a Budew with him, his Partner Pokemon, I presume. We went and joined the rest of the students right as the, "Question & Answer," session had begun.

The Ranger began to introduce himself. "Hello everyone! My name is Crawford, and this is my Partner Pokemon, Budew!" He introduced himself, pointing to his partner.

"HELLO!" Everyone shouted in unison, waving frantically. We were all excited about getting to meet a real Ranger.

"Crawford here is a former student of mine." Ms. April said, walking over to the Ranger and patting him on the shoulder.

"Yeah, I made her mad at least once a day." Crawford playfully stated, slightly scoffing. He wore a goofy grin and had his hands on his hips.

"Now, Crawford. You know that's not true." Ms. April sighed, rolling her eyes. "It had to be at least three times a day." Crawford just sweatdropped. We all just proceeded to laugh. "But despite that..." Ms. April continued, stifling a laugh. "Overall, he was a great student who lifted the spirits of others with his...er, unique... sense of humor." Ms. April sweatdropped, awkwardly scratching the back of her head. "Shall we begin the Question & Answer session?" Ms. April asked with a shoulder shrug, trying to change the subject.

"Sure!" Crawford quickly replied, happy that the spotlight was off of him. For now... "Ok, how about... You!" Crawford suggested, pointing to a girl with orange hair. One by one, everyone began raising their hands. Crawford called on everyone, answering their questions to the best of his abilities.

"Is being a Ranger fun?"

"Yes! Very!"

"Why did you become a Ranger?"

"Because I love Pokemon and I want to protect them! Plus, it's an awesome job!"

Rhythimi spoke up next, seeming a bit hesitant. "Umm, do you think I'll make a good Operator?"

...

**~Awkward Silence~**

...

Crawford just made an awkward face, completely unsure of what to say to that. Of course Rhyth would ask something like that... "I, erm... Umm..." Crawford stumbled over his words, then got an idea. "Well, despite the fact I just met you five seconds ago...yes! I would say you'll make a great Operator!"

Keith just rolled his eyes. "Rhyth, aren't you mistaking this guy for a fortune teller?" Rhythimi then proceeded to scowl at the red head, which he completely brushed off. He then turned to Crawford, asking him his question...or should I say one of the many. "Hey, Ranger! Would I make a good Pokemon Ranger?" Keith asked, being completely serious.

Crawford just scoffed. "Well, now aren't you mistaking me for a fortune teller?" Everyone laughed, and Keith just glared at Crawford. "I can see that you're very strong willed and determined, and that will take you very far in your Ranger career. So, I would have to say, yes! You'll make a great Ranger!" Crawford beamed at him. "Hey, maybe you'll even be a better one than me, some day!"

"Really?! Awesome!" Keith punched the air, enthusiastically.

"Erm...have you ever made any mistakes as a Ranger?" A kid asked. You could tell he was unsure of what to ask, to be honest.

Crawford scoffed, making an, "Oh please!" face. "Of course! When I first started, that's all there was! Like there was that one time I dumped juice on my Styler, or when I tried to capture a Skitty plushie, or when I put my pajamas over my Ranger Unifor..." Crawford cut himself off mid-sentence, suddenly growing very embarrassed. "WAIT! DON'T MAKE ME SAY THESE THINGS!" He shouted, exasperatedly. He was completely mortified.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Everyone laughed.

**-Voicemail! Voicemail!-**

Crawford's Styler started ringing. Everyone quieted down as he picked up the call. _"Crawford, it's Barlow!"_ A very masculine voice said, sounding very rushed. It must've been really urgent. _"I hate to cut things short, but there's an injured Mantine off of the coast of the Ranger School! I need you there pronto to help! Luana and I are already pulling up to the Ranger School's pier in a speed boat as we speak!"_

As if on cue, there was a boat pulling up and the sound of a ship horn. It pulled straight up to the pier, and you could see a Ranger girl with dark hair on board. "LET'S GO, CRAWFORD! I DON'T HAVE TIME TO WAIT FOR YOUR LAZY ASS RIGHT NOW!"

We all just sweatdropped, staring at the short-tempered Ranger in shock. Crawford winced, but seemed used to this sort of thing. "Sorry guys that I have to go so early!" He apologized, running towards the pier and jumping into the boat, landing next to the Ranger girl.

"PLEASE SAVE THAT MANTINE!" Everyone cried out, stricken with worry.

"Will do!" Crawford waved to us. "I'll let you guys know how things went as soon as possible!" He promised us. The boat took off at a great speed, and we all watched in awe as it disappeared over the horizon.

"Well." Ms. April broke the silence. "That was the shortest Outdoor Class ever, but definitely one of the best!" She smiled at us, being cheerful.

"Yeah! We got to see a Ranger in action!" A student said.

We all headed towards the school, about to turn in for the night. That was quite the eventful day, now, huh? I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!

* * *

**Yay! I'm so totally making progress here! five down...twenty nine to go... *bursts into tears* ...Ok I'm not that much of a drama queen. Anyways, I don't have much to say in this authors note. I'll try to stop complaining as much...eheh...yep. Please review! I'm new to this website and it would be super awesome if I got at least 1 review...**

**Read, review, and enjoy!**


	6. Chapter 6: Missing Stylers? Eh?

**(Kate's POV)**

"Class, do you remember that Mantine Crawford went to save during the Outdoor Class a month ago?" Ms. April began, attempting to gain our attention. "Well, it was nursed back to health and released back into the ocean today by the Ranger Union, it's perfectly fine!" Ms. April said, informatively. We were all excited that the Mantine was ok, after all.

_"Hmm...but I can't help but think...where's Keith? He may be an idiot, but he's usually punctual..."_ I thought to myself, noticing that we're already twenty minutes into class. I looked over at Rhythimi, and I could tell that she was thinking the same thing.

"Now, class. I managed to borrow two Capture Stylers from the Union to use for class today to show how a Ranger and an Operator interact with eachother using the Voicemail feature on a Capture Styler. Since your Stylers aren't fitted with these features, I managed to borrow these, so treat them with utmost care, please!" Ms. April announced to the class. "Rhythimi, you'll play the Operator, and Kate, you'll play the Ranger." Ms. April said, handing us the Capture Stylers to put on.

Wow, this thing is so cool! But I still couldn't get my mind off of Keith... Where was he? He would never miss out on something like this!

**-Voicemail! Voicemail!-**

I said into my Styler, calling Rhythimi's. _"Where do you think Keith is, Rhyth?"_ I asked, testing out the new Voicemail feature from one side of the room while she responded through the Styler from the other side of the room.

_"I don't know, but I was just thinking the same thing!"_ Rhythimi replied, she had a worried look on her face.

And then, Mr. Kincaid barged into the room. (The blue hair stayed thanks to the permanent feature of the dye) I snickered every time I saw him after my little prank. Anyways, Kincaid started to yell and rant about something to Mrs. April. Maybe I should listen to this...

"WHERE IS KEITH DAZZLE?! THAT BOY IS IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!"

Oh Arceus. What did Keith do this time...?

"He hasn't come to class today, Mr. Kincaid. Please do not raise your voice at me!" Ms. April retorted, seeming a little ticked off at Mr. Kincaid's temper.

"The school's supply of School Stylers has been cleaned out completely, and I suspect that Keith is the one behind it, due to his prankster personality!" Mr. Kincaid made his accusation, clearly thinking that it was bulletproof. "And the fact that he didn't show up today proves my point even more! He's probably stashing them right now as we speak..."

I cut Mr. Kincaid off. My blood was boiling with rage. Sure, Keith was a prankster, but no one accuses my best friend of stealing! Keith would never do something so low! "HEY, YOU BLUE HAIRED IDIOT!" I yelled at Mr. Kincaid, gaining his attention. "Why don't you shut your mouth! You don't know what the hell you're talking about! Keith is a prankster, I don't deny that, but he would never do something like that! Now shut up and don't you dare accuse my best friend of something so low ever again!" I scolded him, bubbling with rage. Oh shoot. I'm dead. Totally lost my temper. AND IT WAS TOTALLY WORTH IT!

Normally, Ms. April would've yelled at me for using profanity and yelling/disrespecting a teacher, but she was too proud of me at the moment to say anything about it. Not only do the students hate Mr. Kincaid, but so does Ms. April. "Mr. Kincaid!" Ms. April gasped, appalled at his behavior. "Don't you dare accuse one of my students of such a thing without a single ounce of proof! We will all go look for Keith and the missing Stylers right now to prove his innocence. Right, class?" Ms. April asked us all.

"RIGHT!" Everyone shouted.

Ok, time for me to take action here. "Kellyn, go check the Library. Isaac, check the Staff Room. Juliette, go look in Mr. Kincaid's room. Rhyth, check in here and downstairs. I'll go look upstairs!" I gave out the orders. Without any hesitation, everyone complied and began searching for Keith and the Stylers. As I was about to leave, Ms. April stopped me. Great. I'm so dead!

"Kate..." She started off in a low tone, sending chills up my spine. Called it... "Thank you for standing up for your friend and to Mr. Kincaid." She smiled at me, heading for the classroom door. Wait...HUH!? "I'm proud to call you my student. Just, next time, no profanity, please?" Ms. April asked me, smirking as she exited the classroom.

"You got it!" I flashed her a cheeky grin, giving her a thumbs up. I left the classroom to go upstairs. I checked the dorm rooms, nothing in sight... The next place I checked was the Commons Area, the space between the two dorms. Nope... No sign of Keith or the Stylers. ...Now what?

**-Voicemail! Voicemail!-**

*Sweatdrop* Nevermind... "Yeah, Rhyth?" I asked, answering her call on my Styler.

_"COME DOWNSTAIRS I FOUND A LEAD!"_ She screamed, sounding super excited.

Ow, I'm deaf... I just winced and rubbed my ears."On my way down as we speak..." I answered calmly and ran downstairs, being stopped by Mr. Kincaid and given detention...AGAIN. I'm so pranking him later. Anyways... "Rhyth, I'm here! What is it!?" I asked, finding her at the entrance talking to Janice, our caretaker.

"Jheeze, Kate!" Rhythimi sighed, a little annoyed. "What took you so long?!" She asked me, rolling her eyes and putting her hands on her hips. I didn't even have to say anything. I just pulled out the detention slip and waved it in front of her face. She nodded in understanding.

"I found a Styler outside..." Janice began, gaining our attention. "Did either of you drop yours?" She asked us.

I looked at the Styler and noticed that it's brand new. This had to have been one that came from the schools supply of Stylers! "C'mon, Rhyth. Let's check outside!" I suggested, grabbing her wrist and dragging her outside.

"Hey, look! I see another one!" Rhythimi said, stopping and pointing to the floor in the middle of the campus. She went and picked it up as I handed her the one Janice had found.

"Look! There's another one by the stairs leading to the main gate!" I pointed out excitedly as I dashed over to it, picked it up, and gave it to Rhyth.

"Hey...do you hear voices down there?" She asked me with a skeptical look, pointing towards the gate/entrance to the school.

"Actually...yeah. I do..." I warily replied, straining to hear more. I was able to determine who one of the voices belonged to, and my eyes widened in shock. "Hey, that sounds like Keith! Let's go!" I told Rhyth, and we both dashed off down the stairs.

As soon as I reached the bottom of the stairs, I froze. What the heck is going on?

* * *

**(Keith's POV)**

Dang. This guy just won't give up, now, will he? I was on my way to class this morning, when I saw this guy come out of the Staff Room with a truck load of our Stylers! I chased him all the way out here, and I've been preventing him from escaping while trying to get the Stylers back for the past twenty five minutes. Urrgh... Kate and Rhythimi are going to kill me for being late and/or worrying them. Why am I friends with a bunch of girls? Well, there is Isaac and Kellyn...nah. Who am I kidding? I'm friends with a bunch of girls.

I looked up, and the Styler theif is still there, up against the tree, and refusing to give me the Stylers and turn himself in. This is turning into a real bother, real fast.

"KEITH!"

Kate? Did I just hear Kate? Sure enough, Kate and Rhythimi came bounding down the stairs, towards me. I could tell Rhyth was about to scold me for running off and worrying them, when something unexpected happened.

"LET ME GO YOU IDIOT!"

Kate? I turned around and a look of horror filled my eyes. Rhyth turned around, too, and had the same reaction.

**BAM!**

Yup. Rhyth fainted...figures. I can't really blame her, that dang Styler theif was holding my Kate at gunpoint! My Kate? Where the heck did that come from...this is really not the time for that! "KATE!" I yelled, I was really starting to freak out. Ms. April and Principal Lamont came running down the stairs, and a look of horror filled their eyes, as well. They probably heard all of the screaming and came running.

"Let her go, you sick bastard!" I yelled at the thief, who had now taken Kate as hostage.

"NOBODY MOVE, AND THE GIRL WILL NOT GET HURT!" The theif yelled, sounding a little shaky. He pushed the barrel of the gun harder into the side of Kate's head, making her wince from the discomfort it was causing her.

Now I was really starting to freak out. Rhyth had already fainted about five minutes ago as soon as she saw Kate at gunpoint. Principal Lamont and Ms. April were trying to get the guy to release Kate and not hurt anyone, but I could see that this was not going anywhere. They already called the Rangers, who were apparently on their way...But really, what could they do? I had to do something. I could never forgive myself if I let something happen to Kate... What can I do? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I just had to stand here, watch, and pray for a miracle. I looked at Kate, expecting to see her scared for her life, but...what the hell? Was she smiling?

"Oh buddy..." Kate scoffed, seeming really ticked off. "You picked the wrooong girl to hold at gunpoint!" Kate sassed the gunman in a, "you're going to regret doing this," tone.

Huh? Kate? What the hell are you doing sassing the gunman!? I could see the gunman was thinking the same thing. Then, all of a sudden; Kate spun out of the guy's grip, kicked the gun out of his hand, knee'd him in the gut as hard as she could, and came down on his back with her elbow at full force. Holy shit...go Kate! Did Kate just knock out the gunman who holding her at gunpoint...? Dang...

Next thing I know, I grab Kate and jerk her away from the unconscious guy, right after she emptied the clip from the gun and discarded it. I hugged her really tight, I never wanted to let go. I thought I almost lost my best friend for good.

* * *

**(Kate's POV)**

Well, that was just pathetic. The guy wasn't even holding the gun right! It was way too easy to slide out of his grip and beat the crap out of him. I picked up the gun next to the unconscious guy, emptied the clip, and threw it away. Everyone just gawked at me in amazement for a second, and next thing I know, I'm being smothered to death in Keith's arms.

"What?" I sweatdropped, noticing all te weird looks I was getting. "Is it a crime for me to be trained in three different types of martial arts? You guys seriously underestimate me too much." I rolled my eyes, right as Rhyth woke up. Huh, guess she fainted. She laughed in relief to see that I was ok.

Ms. April and Principal Lamont's jaws were both on the ground. Guess they didn't expect me to be able to take care of myself. I turned around and caught a glimpse of the front gate, and... Wait a second. Aren't those the Rangers...? Sure enough, Crawford (holding a cell phone up, guess he recorded the whole thing) and two other Rangers had the same expression as Ms. April and Principal Lamont. My thoughts were then interrupted by Keith.

He gripped my arms and began shaking me, vigorously. As he was giving me a headache, he was glaring at me with a look of worry. "KATE OH MY ARCEUS I WAS SO WORRIED ARE YOU OK ARE YOU HURT ANYWHERE..."

I cut him off by returning the hug with an eye roll and calming him down. "I'm fine, Keith! I was never in any real danger! Calm down!" I sweatdropped, speaking calmly and plainly. I was trying to make my best friend relax, and hopefully he won't kill me later for being in "danger."

WRONG! SO VERY FUCKING WRONG! He flipped shit pretty much for the rest of the night. Eheh...figures. He can be way too overprotective at times, but I don't really mind it so much. Principal Lamont and Ms. April commended me for my excellent work, as did the Rangers. Meanwhile, the Rangers hauled the sorry-excuse-for-a-criminal to a prison somewhere in Pueltown; and my friends spent the rest of the night smothering me to death, saying that I could've died, even though I was perfectly fine and never was in any real danger... Keith was worried the most. It's not really all that surprising, since we're best friends and all. I stared at him the entire time I was held at gunpoint. He looked absolutely horrified, and like he had a million thoughts running through his mind all at once. And then, there was that unknown emotion again... The one I saw in his eyes when I told him about my past at the pier, back in Ascension Square. What was it? That emotion? That...feeling?

I have no idea.

* * *

**Plottttttt twiiistttttt...! That didn't happen in the game! I'm sure those of you who have played the game before noticed the change I made. And if you didn't, oh well! I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I'm going to go work on chapter 7 right away! Except it might take me a bit longer...It's probably about the same length as chapter 1. Oh joy. Well, bye my lovelies! Have a great day!**

**Read, review, and enjoy!**


	7. Chapter 7: 1-Day Internship Fiasco!

**(Normal POV)**

"JULIETTE! PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF ARCEUS, PUT DOWN THE HAMMER!" Rhythimi shouted, trying to snatch the sledgehammer out of Juliette's hands.

"NO! NOT MY BEAUTIFUL FACE!" Kellyn shrieked girlishly, frantically running away from the hammer-weilding Juliette.

"NOT UNTIL I SMASH YOUR PRETTY BOY FACE IN!" Juliette screamed at Kellyn like a psychopath, a gleam of crazy shined in her eyes.

"Just another normal day at the Ranger School..." Issac mumbled to himself, sighing and resting his head in his hand.

* * *

**(Keith's POV)**

Today's the day! It's time for our internships! I hope I get to go somewhere exciting, and maybe even get to do something awesome! I hope I get paired with Kate!...what? She's my best friend, am I not allowed to want to spend time with her...? Jheeze...you people are quick to judge

"JULIETTE! PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF ARCEUS, PUT DOWN THE HAMMER!" I heard Rhyth shout, and the sound of loud footsteps and crashing noises followed soon after.

"Well, looks like everyone's already up and doing their everyday morning routines..." I mumbled to myself, getting out of bed to get dressed.

"NO! NOT MY BEAUTIFUL FACE!" I heard Kellyn shriek. I snickered as I continued to get ready for my internship. As soon as I was about to open and walk out the door, someone jerked it open and plowed right into me. I winced and rubbed my now-bruised forehead, fairly annoyed. "WHAT THE...? Wait...Kate?" I mumbled in shock, blinking at the spastic brunette on my chest.

"Keith! I have something to tell you!" She grinned enthusiastically, super hyper and excited. Did Kate seriously just come flying in and tackle me to the ground, just to tell me something? Well, I gotta admire her enthusiasm... "WE'RE BOTH GOING TO THE VIENTOWN BASE TOGETHER FOR OUR INTERNSHIP TODAY!" She yelled, sounding very excited...still on top of me from the crash... I think she just realized that because I noticed her face begin to flush red. Arceus, she's so cute when embarrassed.

HUH? Why do these thoughts keep popping into my head?! "That's great, Kate! You ready to go in a bit?" I quickly recovered, shaking those thoughts from my head as I asked her.

"HELL YES! I've been waiting for this for months!" She scoffed, getting off of me.

I just laughed. Kate was definitely different from any other girl I have ever met in my entire life. She's smart, funny, exciting, talkative, trusting, going to be a great Ranger, optimistic, talented, empathetic, thoughtful, daring, brave, caring, witty, cute...AGHHHH! WHY AM I THINKING THIS?! And then there was the way she calmly kicked that gunman's ass two weeks ago... I have to admit, that was pretty amazing. Arceus only knows how scared I was that day.

"Keith, would you stop spacing out for a second? C'mon! We're gonna be late!" Kate shouted at me, rushing out the door in a hurry.

Huh? Oh right! "I'm coming, Kate!" I sheepishly replied, chasing after her.

* * *

**(Normal POV)**

"Keith, would you stop spacing out for a second? C'mon! We're gonna be late!"

"I'm coming, Kate!"

"Aaaaaaaaand there go our two favorite lovebirds." Rhythimi snickered, smirking devilishly as she watched the twosome dash down the hallway, crashing into various objects along the way.

"C'mon, it's so obvious that they like each other." Kellyn commented, crossing his arms and leaning back against the wall.

"Obvious to everyone but them!" Juliette added, a bit annoyed that her friends hadn't hooked up yet.

"It really is! I mean... Did you see Keith's face during the incident two weeks ago?" Rhythimi asked, spacing out and having a flashback.

"Obviously not, since you were the only one of us there at the time." Isaac added, sounding as intelligent as ever. "But, I can imagine the possibilities of Keith's probable reaction to such a predicament." Isaac mused out loud, stroking his imaginary beard.

Everyone just stared at Isaac in shock, raising an eyebrow. Not because they were surprised by what he had said, but because they were trying to figure out what the heck it was that Isaac just said. Unfortunately for Isaac, his IQ surpasses all of his friend's combined. Translation, he has to break everything he says down into more simple terms in order for everyone to understand him.

Kellyn just shrugged it off and broke the awkward silence, since he really wasn't paying attention in the first place, anyways. "It's gotta be any day now." He scoffed, adjusting his posture to be more comfortable and confident looking. "He obviously likes my sister, and he hasn't even said anything to me, yet! This is so frustrating!" Kellyn sighed in annoyance, crossing his arms in a huff. To be honest, he was being a blubbering man child.

Juliette just rolled her eyes, then proceeded to hit Kellyn upside the face.

**WHACK!**

"OW! NOT MY BEAUTIFUL FACE!" Kellyn shrieked like a little girl at Juliette, who just put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes.

"Because, he doesn't realize that he likes her yet, you idiot!" Juliette scolded Kellyn, aka the blubbering man child who was currently combing his hair.

"You know, your behavior is quite an interesting enigma to study as well." Isaac mused, staring at Julliette and Kellyn in an observation-like manner. "You two interact with one another just like Kate and Keith... Is it possible that you two have developed feelings for each other in the long amount of time that we've been friends?" Isaac bluntly stated his question, directed at the two dark-haired wannabe Rangers.

"WHAT?!" They both shouted in unison, beginning to choke on air. Juliette and Kellyn exchanged awkward glances, then quickly tore their gaze away from one another.

"Hah! You guys so like each other! I knew it!" Rhythimi teased, causing Kellyn and Juliette to awkwardly look at each other and blush.

But, Juliette recovered from the embarrassment much faster than Kellyn. As she whipped out her camera, she retorted, "Oh shut up Rhythimi and go kiss Isaac already, now, will you?"

Rhythimi and Isaac awkwardly looked at each other, blushing insanely. Juliette took pictures and Kellyn laughed, teasing that they liked each other, too.

It seems that every moment that passes by...the group that started out as six friends...is slowly turning into three couples...

* * *

**(Kate's POV)**

"Hurry up, Keith! We don't want to be late for our internship!" I excitedly shouted to Keith, who was racing me to the Ranger Base and horribly losing.

"HELP ME! Someone, help! The Bidoof are trying to maul me!"

Huh? Someone needs help! I ran down the steps even faster now. At the entrance to the school was a skinny and timid looking guy, he was clinging to a tree while two Bidoof were looking at him, hoping he would play with him. And yet, he thinks they're trying to maul him... Sometimes it's really annoying that most people don't understand Pokemon like I do.

"Kate? What's going on? Keith asked as he came up behind me, just now catching up. He was slightly out of breath from the jog down here.

"Dunno, you tell me..." I sweatdropped, awkwardly scratching the back of my head.

"Oh, hey! It's little Tim!" Keith pointed out, pointing to the guy clinging for dear life to that poor tree. "He's a Miltank Farmer in Vientown! Unfortunately, he's deathly afraid of Pokemon..." Keith sweatdropped, and I did the same. "Erm, we should probably capture these Bidoof so he'll let go of the tree..."

"Already on it!" I replied, whipping out my Styler and dashing towards the two Bidoof. I went ahead and made my swift five second capture, capturing the two Bidoof.

The timid guy came down from the tree. "Th-Thank you! You saved me! Thank you kindly!" Little Tim thanked me, still hyperventilating a bit.

"You're welcome! It was no trouble at all!" I replied with a bright smile, doing my best to seem cheerful and optimistic. I clicked the "release" button on my Styler screen, and the two Bidoof ran off.

"So...I know you, Keith..." Little Tim began, pointing at said red-head. "But...who are you?" Tim asked, shifting his gaze over towards me.

"Oh, I'm Kate!" I introduced myself, shaking Tim's hand. "I also want to be a Pokemon Ranger!"

After we calmed Tim down and he left, we were about to leave for Vientown, when we were stopped...again...

"Kate! Keith! Wait just a minute, please!" Ms. April called out, trying to catch up to us before we left.

"Yes, Ms. April?" I asked, spinning back around to face her. I was feeling a bit annoyed with all of these interruptions.

"You did excellent work helping Little Tim, you two are going to make great Rangers someday." She smiled, patting us on the shoulder.

"Thanks!" Keith and I said in unison, quickly bolting out of the gate.

We are so gonna be late now! Wait...do I hear someone crying?

* * *

**(Keith's POV)**

Kate did a pretty amazing job capturing those Bidoof and calming down Little Tim, not many people can do that. She has great Pokemon and people skills, I can already tell she's going to make a great Ranger. Which can only mean one thing...I need to step up my game, then!

"Oh my gosh! Are you ok, sweetie?"

Huh? I looked up to see Kate running over to a little blonde haired girl, who was crying in the middle of the bridge. She knelt down so she could look at her at eye level. The little girl was sobbing and sniffling, rubbing her eyes. "...I...I c-came to see my brother b-but he's not here!" The girl cried, trying to calm down and horribly failing. Poor thing, must've been lost. She couldn't be any older than seven or eight years old.

"It's ok! Don't you worry!" Kate beamed at her. "I'll help you find your brother, I promise!" Kate said to the girl, picking her up and hugging her. "Now, what's your name?" Kate asked.

"Melody." The girl replied, her sobbing was starting to slow down just a bit.

Hmm...who knew Kate was good with kids...?

"Melody?!" Issac shouted in astonishment, running over towards us.

Hmm? What's going on?

"Issac! Big brother!" Melody cheered, and Kate brought her over to Isaac, handing her to him.

"Melody, what are you doing here? I told you not to leave Pueltown all by yourself!" Issac scolded, you could tell he was seriously worried and stressed out.

"I...I'm sorry..." Melody sniffled. "I just wanted to see you!" Melody explained, she had a look of pure innocence on her face.

You could tell instantly that Issac's heart just melted at that. His face softened, and he hugged Melody tighter. "Ok, I'm sorry. How about we walk home together?" Issac asked her, earning a vigorous head nod from his sister. He then turned to Kate, flashing her a sheepish grin. "And Kate, thank you for taking care of my sister." He thanked her, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.

"It was no trouble at all!" Kate smiled, playfully punching Isaac in the shoulder.

"Ok! Bye big brothers friends!" Melody waved to us over Issac's shoulder, and they headed towards Pueltown.

"She's so cute! I wish I had a sister like that!" Kate happily sighed, watching Melody and Isaac disappear into the distance. She waved good-bye to Melody until they were out of sight.

"Since when do you have a soft spot for kids?" I asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"Always, you just never took the time to notice." She shrugged her shoulders. Hmm. Guess that's true. And I kind of feel bad about that... I don't know why I do, it's just how she said that sort of bothered me a little... "RACE YOU TO THE BASE!" Kate yelled as she ran ahead. Well, that sure snapped me out of my thoughts.

"HEY! THAT'S NO FAIR, KATIE! YOU GOT A HEAD START!" I laughed, taking off after her.

"DON'T CALL ME KATIE, RED HEAD!" Kate screamed back, and we both just laughed at each other the whole way there.

* * *

**(Kate's POV)**

"HA! I WIN!" I yelled in Keith's face, rubbing in my victory.

"THAT'S BECAUSE YOU GOT A HEAD START, CHEATER!" He yelled back at me, I think he's just upset because I wounded his ego.

"Ahem. Pardon the interruption, but this letter is for you two." The Operator behind the counter spoke up, holding out a letter to us. She had short purple hair and brown eyes, and was dressed in the usual teal Operator's Uniform.

"Sorry! I'll take that!" I sheepishly replied, accepting the letter from her. I began reading over it, and I felt someone hovering over my shoulder. It was probably just Keith trying to read the letter over my shoulder, impatient as ever.

The letter read, _"Hey, rookies! Sorry that we're not here to formally greet you, but we all had to go out on a very important mission. Please take the very important parcel from Anna (the Operator) and bring it to Breeze Hill. DO NOT tip it, shake it, or turn it on its side! It's very fragile! We'll see you there! Good luck with your mission, rookies! -Barlow (Ranger Base Leader)"_

"Wow, sounds pretty important." Keith commented, and he stopped peering over my shoulder to read the letter. Hmm, I guess I was right.

"Yes it is! Some Bidoof... Oh I can't bring myself to say it! Good luck with your mission, and here's the parcel! Be careful with it!" Anna said to us, and she handed Keith the parcel. It looked heavy, not that Keith would admit it.

"Let's go!" Keith yelled, sounding pretty pumped and excited. Then again, so was I.

We both dashed out the door and made our way to Nabiki Beach, which was west of Vientown. It was a really nice day outside. The ocean was calm, the sand glittered in the sunlight, there were Wingull flying in the sky, and a Lapras was swimming in the sea off in the distance...

**Snap!**

What the...hell...

"KEITH YOU PERVERT GIVE ME BACK MY BRA!" I shouted at him, completely infuriated. I chased him the rest of the way to Breeze Hill while he was just laughing the entire time. How the heck did he steal my bra while I was still wearing it...? So not funny! But he sure thought it was.

"Alright, I'll be nice. Here you go, Katie." Keith teased, handing me back my bra.

"DON'T CALL ME KATIE!" I yelled at him, this must have been the thousandth time I've scolded him to not call me that. I just awkwardly put it back on, glaring at him the entire time. He's such a jerk. Sometimes I wonder how the heck we became friends in the first place...

* * *

**(Keith's POV)**

I'm a jerk to her, and yet she still sticks around. How is it that she's still my friend? Sometimes I wonder how we're even friends in the first place... She gets really ticked off when I call her Katie, but she's so cute when she's mad...so how can I just stop ticking her off? Did I just think my best friend is cute? NO, NO, NO. NO I DIDN'T.

"Hey, rookies! Did you bring the very important parcel?" Barlow asked as we reached the top of the hill. He was a burly looking man with very tan skin and red hair, very well built. I recognized his voice from the voicemail call on Crawford's Styler from the Outdoor Class.

"Yep, here you go." I nodded, handing the parcel to Barlow.

"Ok, everyone. It's lunch time!" Barlow accepted the parcel, and everyone else began to gather around. There was Barlow, Crawford, and two girls I haven't met before. One was dressed like a Ranger, and the other had maroon overalls and oily goggles.

What?

...

They brought out a picnic blanket, opened up the "very important parcel," and sure enough... There was food inside...

...

Was our first mission literally just to deliver lunch? I looked over at Kate and could tell she was thinking the same thing. She had a stunned and shocked look on her face as well, with her jaw on the floor. What the heck just happened...?

"AHAHA!" Crawford busted out laughing, falling to the floor while clutching his gut. "Oh the looks on your faces are just priceless!" Crawford laughed, trying to suppress it and horribly failing.

"Don't worry, they do this every year." A dark-haired Ranger girl brushed it off, smiling at us with a bright smile. "I was their victim last year, except I was so excited that I ruined the lunch by shaking and spinning the parcel around too much!" She nervously laughed, awkwardly scratching the back of her head. She seemed to be a little bit embarrassed at that last part, yet she told us anyways so that we would feel more comfortable.

"C'mon, you two! Come join us!" The girl with the maroon overalls and oily goggles called us over, taking a seat on the blanket. She had short brown hair and a warm smile. She patted the ground, ushering us over to the open seats. She was trying to get us to join in on the picnic.

Kate and I went ahead and joined the picnic, taking seats around the picnic blanket. I sat over by the guys, and Kate took refuge over by the girls. We all dug into the parcel, distributing sandwiches and soda cans. Once we were all settled in, Barlow decided to go ahead and start the introductions.

"So now that you're here, let's do our introductions!" Barlow began, clapping his hands together. "I'm Barlow, the Vientown Ranger Base Leader. And this is my partner Pokemon, Makuhita!" Barlow introduced himself and his partner, pointing to the Makuhita sitting next to him. "You've already met Crawford, our resident jokester. He was the one at your Outdoor Class a while back." Barlow continued, pointing to Crawford. Crawford flashed us a cheeky grin, petting his Budew. "This is Luana and her Partner Pokemon, Buneary!" Barlow continued the introductions, introducing us to the dark-haired Ranger girl. "She's our resident Toaster Killer." Barlow sweatdropped, as did everyone else. ...Toaster Killer?

"HEY!" Luana protested, placing her hands on her hips. "Barlow, my cooking isn't that bad!" Luana whined, making a pouty face. Ah. Now I get it. Crawford just supportively patted her on the shoulder, which only seemed to enrage her more.

"And finally, this is our Mechanic, Elaine! She's great at dismantling machines, just... Don't tell her that she can't dismantle something, otherwise you'll get a wrench to the face... Or worse." Barlow sweatdropped, he nervously pointed to Elaine.

"Barlow, you make it sound like I'm some sort of psychopath or something!" Elaine joked, laughing it off. We all sweatdropped at that.

"Well, I'm Kate, and it's nice to meet all of you!" Kate introduced herself with enthusiasm, smiling and shaking everyone's hands.

I decided to do the same thing. "And I'm Keith!" I introduced myself, doing the same thing Kate did.

"How could we forget you, Kate?" Crawford laughed, playfully punching her in the shoulder. "You're the kid who totally kicked that gunman's butt back at the Ranger School two weeks ago!" Crawford reminisced, laughing at the memory.

"Eheh... Yeah, I remember that..." Kate nervously replied, sheepishly scratching the back of her head. And I remember it, too. I'd never forget something like that. I haven't worried about someone that much ever, really...

"Yep, I took a video of it and it's already gone viral! I sent it to ALL of the Ranger Bases!" Crawford proudly admitted, posing arrogantly. His pride was swelling, and a little bit too much if you ask me. Luana just punched him in the gut, bringing the Afro Ranger back down to Earth.

...

"Did you say..." Kate hesitated, and you could tell she was worried about something. "All...of the Ranger Bases...?" She nervously gulped, tugging at her shirt collar.

"Yes." Crawford flashed her a grin, still proud of himself.

"Including...Ringtown...?" Kate nervously asked, and her face was flushed a little red. Why does she care about that town specifically? Plus, it was awesome how she fought the guy! Why would she be embarrassed about someone in Ringtown seeing the video...?

"Yeah, I sent it to Ringtown, too." Crawford casually replied, brushing her off. He took a sip of his soda, not seeing anything wrong with what he did. And to be completely honest, I didn't get it, either.

Kate had a look of horror in her eyes. "Oh, great... I'm so dead... It was nice knowing you guys..." Kate dramatically pretended to faint onto the grass, her eyes resembles those of a dizzy Spinda. I just shook my head and laughed, what a sense of humor.

"And why is that, exactly?" Luana asked Kate, shaking her awake. She practically had to pull Kate up off of the ground, because she sort of "melted."

Kate nervously shuffled, feeling uncomfortable. "Because my Dad is the Base Leader in Ringtown, and as soon as he sees that video, he's going to flip out that I was put in a life or death situation..." Kate slapped her forehead, slowly dragging her hand down her face.

"YOUR DAD IS THE FAMOUS RANGER SPENSER HITOMI?!" Everyone shouted in a startled, amazed, and confused tone. Crawford fell over, Luana dropped her sandwich, Barlow's jaw crashed to the floor, and Elaine had her hands slapped on the sides of her face. Spencer Hitomi? Wait...as in...THE SPENSER HITOMI? He's Kate's Dad?! Holy Arceus...

"Eheh... Yeah?" Kate sweatdropped, awkwardly staring at everyone's reactions to the news. None of us dared to move or speak a word, we were all just frozen in shock.

...

**~Awkward Silence~**

...

"Help! Rangers! My girlfriend is being surrounded by crazy Pokemon on the beach!" A guy shouted to us, running up the stairs to Breeze Hill. Well, that got everyone's attention. He was seriously freaking out, and was panting from all of the running that he just did.

"Alright, guys! Let's go! You too, rookies!" Barlow commanded, shooting up from his seat.

We all ran down the stairs and made haste towards the beach. Sure enough, there was a girl that was being circled by two Shellos, a Starly, a Munchlax, and a Buizel. They all had this hypnotized look to them, and they seemed to be suffering greatly. They were all just circling the beach girl, who was seriously freaking out. Elaine stood by Mr. Woodward up on the hill, while the rest of us Rangers/Rangers-in-Training readied our Stylers for a capture. Kate took the Starly, I took the Buizel, Luana took the Munchlax, and Crawford and Barlow began capturing the two Shellos. In a minute or two, we all finished our captures with ease and released the Pokemon... Well... Except for me...

"Keith, you can release that Buizel now..." Barlow sweatdropped, and everyone directed their attention to me.

"I'm trying!" I was starting to freak out, and I kept hitting the release button on my Styler. The Buizel wasn't budging one bit, staring up at me with a starry-eyed look. He abruptly jumped up on my head, clutching onto my hair. I was seriously annoyed at this point, trying to jerk the dang thing off of me. Everyone was just laughing at this.

"Here, let me help!" Kate laughed as she tried to help me yank this dang stubborn Buizel off of my head. But...we had no such luck. The Buizel just held a tighter grip onto my hair, refusing to let go. Kate kept trying to pull him off, but all that did was pull my hair. Which hurt a lot.

"Looks like Keith's got a Partner Pokemon!" Luana laughed, clearly amused by this whole situation.

"People say that if you meet on this beach, you're destined to become great friends! I met my Budew on this beach, too!" Crawford explained, smirking and crossing his arms.

"Well, you two can head back to the Ranger Base now. We'll go clean up our picnic at Breeze Hill." Barlow dismissed us with a grin.

And with that, they left. I could still hear them laughing about the Buizel situation from back here. It was just me and Kate now. And the Buizel...

_"NOOOOO I DON'T WANNA GOOOO! PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME!"_ The Buizel whined, clutching onto my head even harder. (If that's even possible...)

...

Wait...

"I can understand you?" I asked the Buizel, very confused by this.

"You can talk to Pokemon, too?" Kate blinked repeatedly, completely astonished. She was sort of just gawking at me. Too? Does that mean she... She cut me off again. "Yes, I can talk to Pokemon." MIND READER! I SWEAR THAT WOMAN IS A MIND READER!

_"I don't wanna go! Can I stay? Can I be your Partner Pokemon? Can we be best friends forever? Who's that pretty girl? Is she your girlfriend? Does she like you? Does she like me? Can I be her friend, too? Do you like me?" _The VERY curious Buizel asked me, vigorously shaking my head.

Kate just laughed. "Wow, aren't you just an adorable and curious little Buizel!" Kate giggled, very amused by the Buizel's spastic nature. The Buizel jumped off of my head and into Kate's arms, who began nuzzling her face. "Ok, to answer your questions..." Kate mused, pressing her index finger to her lips. She was making her famous thinking face. "Not until we graduate..."

I interrupted her for the second question. "HELL NO!" I shouted at the Buizel, who just stuck his tongue out at me.

Kate just glared at me, rolled her eyes, and continued talking to the Buizel in her arms. "I'm sure you guys can become friends over time, just try not to annoy Keith too much, because that's my job!" Kate snickered, and I just glared at her. Buizel and Kate laughed at that last part. "My name is Kate; I'm DEFINITELY NOT Keith's girlfriend; yes I like Keith..." Wait? Kate likes me? I know she means as a friend, but... Seriously? How? "Yes I like you; yes you can be my friend; and so far Keith doesn't like you, but I'm sure you'll warm up to him eventually!" Kate answered his questions, trying to sound optimistic.

_"He's just jealous because you're giving me all the attention instead of him."_ The Buizel snickered, teasing me. Kate busted out laughing as the Buizel made a run for it, and I chased after that damn Pokemon.

"I DO NOT LIKE KATE! SHUT UP!" I yelled at the Buizel, completely ticked off at this point. What? I might be just the slightest bit short tempered...

"Keith." Kate caught up to me, putting her hand on my shoulder to stop me from running.

Hmm? I turned to face Kate. "Yeah?" I asked, and just looking at her calm expression was already starting to calm me down.

"Calm down, he's just teasing." She smiled at me, looking at the Buizel who jumped into her arms again for protection.

"Fine." I huffed, stubbornly, and we stepped inside of the Ranger Base once again.

Later on, the Rangers (Plus Elaine) came back to the Ranger Base, and congratulated us on our captures. They ordered pizza for dinner for us, since we had until 8pm before having to go back to the school. Hanging out with the Rangers and having some bonding time, what could possibly go wrong?

Everything. Absolutely everything.

* * *

**(Keith's POV)**

**~Later that Night~**

"So...Keith?" Crawford spoke up, breaking the awkward silence. We were in the front room of the Ranger Base. It was just Crawford, Barlow and I.

"Yeah?" I looked up from my Styler with a bored expression, hoping that someone would start a conversation soon.

"So, what's going on between you and Kate?" Crawford snickered, he put his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair. Barlow set down his newspaper, intrigued by Crawford's question. It was clear that they both wanted to know the answer to this.

"WHAT?!" I nearly fell out of my chair, and I started to choke on air. "NOTHING! WE'RE JUST FRIENDS!" I yelled at Crawford, I was shooting him an intense glare. Why would he even ask that?!

"C'mon, you can tell us." Barlow chuckled at my behavior, and got comfortable in his chair. "The girls are in the kitchen, so they won't hear. There's no way you two are just friends." Barlow teased with a smirk, resting his head in his hand.

"She's my best friend! That's it!" I defended myself, and I was starting to get mad at this point.

"I had a best friend once." Crawford happily sighed, looking off into the distance. He was trying to be dramatic, and make it look like he was having a flashback or something. I just groaned and rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, and now he resorts to stealing her bra's and flirting with her all because he can't admit that he likes her." Barlow snickered, shaking his head in amusement.

Crawford whipped his head around really fast, shooting Barlow a weird look. He raised an eyebrow at Barlow's comment. "Hey, I don't li..." Crawford started to say, but he was interrupted by a high pitch scream.

"CRAWFORD!" Luana shrieked, and Crawford fell over. "GIVE ME BACK MY BRA, YOU SICK PERVERT!" Luana screamed like a maniac from the kitchen, and she started to run towards Crawford. She started running straight for him, and she was majorly ticked off. You could practically see steam coming out of her ears, she was that furious.

"Aw crud...gotta run, guys!" Crawford sweatdropped, quickly scrambling off of the floor. He took off running as fast as his legs would carry him out of the Ranger Base, and Luana was not too far behind him.

"Have fun, you two lovebirds!" Barlow sang in a sing-song voice as they exited the Ranger Base, with Luana chasing after Crawford. You could still hear two distinctive screams coming from the two Rangers. One was high pitch and girly, and then there was just Luana screaming at Crawford. Something along the lines of being a bra thief and a pervert was echoing throughout the streets of Vientown.

I just sweatdropped, and then proceeded to pretend that didn't just happen. Kate? Liking me more than a friend? Yeah right, there's no way. Right?

_"KEITHY AND KATIE, SITTING IN A TREE! K-I-S-S-I-N-G..."_

"SHUT IT, BUIZEL!"

* * *

**(Kate's POV)**

~**Back in the Kitchen~**

"C'mon, Kate! Just tell us! It'll be a secret between us girls!" Luana pleaded with Lillipup eyes, lightly shaking my shoulders. She's been doing this for the past ten or so minutes. Urrgh...

"NO! I DO NOT LIKE KEITH! STOP INSISTING THAT THERE IS MORE BETWEEN US, LUANA!" I shouted at Luana, very flustered. I was very annoyed at this point. Asking me this question one time? Not a problem. But fifty times? You better believe that I will destroy you...

"There's no way that he's your best friend and that's it!" Elaine chimed in. "Luana's best friend was a guy, but now they totally like each other, even though they won't admit it." Elaine snickered, taking a sip of her drink. Something tells me that this is normal conversation for these girls.

"WHAT?!" Luana shouted, defensively. She was appalled by Elaine's accusation, but I couldn't help but notice a slight blush creeping up on her face. "Why would I like someone who continuously steals my bras, and..." Luana cut herself off, patting her Ranger Shirt. "Wait a second...WHERE IS THE BRA I WAS WEARING JUST FIVE MINUTES AGO?!" Luana shouted, and her eyes widened as it dawned on her. "CRAWFORD! GIVE ME BACK MY BRA, YOU SICK PERVERT!" Luana shrieked like a banshee, dashing out of the kitchen. A large assortment of screams, yells, and crashing noises followed soon after.

"See? They totally like each other. They just won't admit it." Elaine laughed, shaking her head. "They do this on a daily basis. You'll get used to it if you get assigned here, and I hope you do!" Elaine smiled at me, patting me on the shoulder.

"I can see that they like each other, but..." I shuffled, nervously. I rubbed my arm and directed my gaze to the floor. "But that doesn't mean that's how it's going to be with me and Keith! Even though he steals my bras, too, and..."

Anna cut me off, holding up her hand to signal me to stop talking. "He steals your bras, too? Oh come on, Kate!" She laughed, playfully punching me in the shoulder. She set her coffee mug on the counter. "Don't be blind! He so likes you! He may not realize it yet, but he so does! It's obvious!" Anna nodded her head, encouraging me to go for it.

"NO, NO, NO! A THOUSAND TIMES NO!" I shouted at the two girls, storming out of the kitchen. This was just too embarrassing to handle right now, I get enough of this from my friends at school as it is. I left to go see Keith, since we have to get back to the school soon. It was about 7:50 now, leaving us just enough time to walk back. We might be cutting it close, though. I whacked Keith over the head as soon as he was in sight, gaining his attention. "C'mon, Keith. We need to go back to school now." I sighed, pretty worn out from the day I had today.

"Oh, ok. I'm coming." Keith shot up from his chair and followed me out of the door, with Buizel trotting close behind him.

Keith? Liking me more than a friend? Yeah right, there's no way. Right?

* * *

**(Keith's POV)**

That was really awkward back at the Ranger Base. _"Why do the guys all think that I like Kate? I do not like Kate. She's just my friend. My best friend!"_ I thought to myself as Kate and I were approaching the bridge. But still...don't you think that's a little weird? What makes them think that I even like her in the first place? Of course I like her, but there are as many forms of "like" as there are moments in time. I like her as a friend, nothing more. Urrghh...this is exhausting just to think about...

"YOOHOO! RANGER WANNABEES!"

Oh great. I know that voice anywhere. "Yeah Rhyth?" I groaned, spinning around on my heel. I saw Isaac and Rhythimi running across the bridge to catch up to us, and Kate and I went to meet them half way.

"C'mon, let's go!" Rhythimi grabbed our arms, jerking us the rest of the way across the bridge. Yeesh, someone's impatient. "I want to see if Kellyn and Juliette are back from Boyleland! I want to tell them about my internship at the Ranger Union!" Rhythimi explained, dragging the three of us all the way back to the Ranger School. We all just laughed at the perky blonde's impatience.

"Alright, just give us a minute. You two go on ahead." I said to Rhythimi and Isaac, since I had something to do first. Isaac nodded his head, and went with Rhythimi the rest of the way back to the Ranger School. Kate stayed behind with Buizel and I, and we just laughed as we listened to Rhythimi's rambling from back here. Something about how the Professor mistook her name for, "Misery." That's something I'll have to tease her about later.

"Ok, Buizel. You have to go home now. I promise I'll try to convince Keith to let you be his Partner Pokemon after we graduate!" Kate said to Buizel, laughing at that last part. She was waving good-bye to him, and I could tell that she was sad to see him go.

_"Ok. Bye Keith, bye Keith's nice girlfriend..."_ Buizel let out a sad sigh, slumping his shoulders a little bit. He took off running back to Vientown, where he would probably head back to Nabiki Beach after that.

"SHE IS NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!" I shouted at Buizel, but it was a lost cause. He's never going to stop teasing me about her. And besides, he was out of earshot, anyways.

Kate and I headed towards the school, ready to turn in for the night. We were both exhausted beyond belief. But seriously... How does Kate like me? How is she even friends with me? Urrgh...I probably won't ever know the answer to that.

* * *

**Wow that took a lot longer than I expected. LET THE VATONAGESHIPPING TEASING BEGIN! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH...ok I'll stop the evil laughing now. Thanks for reading my story, guys! I only started posting this story last night and I'm already getting a ton of views! This. is. so. exciting! Woohoo! Well, bye for now!**

**Read, review, and enjoy!**


	8. Chapter 8: School Dance! Whyyy?

**(Rhythimi's POV)**

"C'mon, Kate! You have to go!" I pleaded Kate for what felt like the thousandth time, vigorously shaking her shoulders. I even brought out Juliette's Lillipup eyes, and she still wasn't budging. I swear...this girl can be so stubborn sometimes.

We were all outside in the school yard. Kate, Juliette and I were towards the front of the school. Keith, Kellyn, and Isaac were down in Ascension Square, hanging out by a tree.

"Yeah, Kate!" Juliette spoke up, taking my side. "If we're going, you have to also!" Juliette smirked, crossing her arms. She makes a valid point.

"Oh heck no!" Kate scoffed, backing away from us very slowly. "I'm not going to a stupid dance! No way!" Kate crossed her arms, stubbornly shaking her head. She was making her point of not going to the dance very clear.

Urrgh...this girl is so frustrating. Do I know how to pick best friends or what? "C'mon, Kate! It'll be fun!" I started again, trying to persuade her from a different angle this time. "We'll get to wear fancy dresses, hang out together, dance with cute guys, it'll be so much fun!" I pointed out, making some very good observations.

"Please, Kate!" Juliette asked again. We both clapped our hands together, and pressed them to our lips. We stared at Kate with big anime eyes, and I even made mine water a little bit for dramatic effect.

...

**~Awkward Silence~**

...

Kate groaned, and she threw her hands up into the air. "FINE! I'LL GO! BUT I AM SO NOT WEARING A STUPID DRESS!" Kate shouted frustration, giving in to the peer pressure.

"OH YES YOU ARE!" I yelled back at her. Yes! We annoyed her until breaking point! Mission accomplished! Kate walked off towards the guys, leaving Juliette and I to talk. "Phase one is complete. Ready to start phase two of 'Operation Matchmaker,' Juliette?" I asked Juliette with a smirk, continuing to watch Kate storm off like a drama queen.

She smirked back, punching the air with a fist. "Definitely!" She replied, laughing a little.

We snickered silently as we went to catch up to Kate and the guys. This was going to be good! My plan is almost complete...this has to work for sure! If it doesn't...well. Then I am a horrible matchmaker who needs to stick to just being an Operator.

* * *

**(Keith's POV)**

"I'm not going." I said to Kellyn, dryly. I stared at him with a bored and unamused gaze, showing him that I was being serious.

"Oh come on, Keith! It'll be fun! Everyone's going! Even Kate!" Kellyn pleaded, he wore a grin that stretched from ear to ear.

Kate's going? Well, I still don't know... "I don't know, guys..." I sighed, trying to deal with this internal conflict and not succumb to the peer pressure.

Isaac sighed, looking down at the ground. "Keith, if I ask Rhythimi to be my date for the dance, then will you go?" Isaac asked me, shuffling nervously.

Ok, if Isaac has the guts to ask out his crush to the dance...then I guess I could go... But, I think that I'll use this to my advantage before I concede just yet... I smirked, an evil idea just popped into my head. "Fine, but only if Kellyn also asks out Juliette." I looked at Kellyn, who's face turned more red than my hair.

"I'LL DO THAT AS SOON AS HELL FREEZES OVER!" He shouted, defensively. He quickly ducked behind Isaac, who just rolled his eyes at Kellyn's behavior.

"Then I'm not going." I huffed, crossing my arms and looking away. I kept one eye open to watch Kellyn's reaction, which was very amusing.

"If I can do it, so can you, Kellyn." Isaac groaned, slapping his forehead and slowly dragging his hand down his face.

...

**~Awkward Silence~**

...

"Ok, fine..." Kellyn sighed, defeated. He melted onto the floor, and was grumbling incoherent things to himself. Something along the lines of this was now his last day to live. Gosh, he can be such a drama queen sometimes. His eyes inmediately snapped open, and he sat up. He wore a broad smirk. Uh oh. "I still think Keith should ask out Kate." Kellyn snickered.

What? "HELL NO! I WOULD NEVER ASK HER!" I yelled, throwing a rock at Kellyn. Lucky for him, he dodged it.

"Never ask who what?" Kate innocently asked as she joined in on the conversation, running up to us.

"Oh! Umm, erm... Nothing! It's nothing!" I sheepishly replied, awkwardly scratching the back of my head. I could just feel a slight blush begin to creep up on my cheeks. Isaac and Kellyn just laughed, leaving Kate to be even more confused than she already was.

"Well, I have a girl to ask out, so I'll just leave you two alone." Kellyn smirked, posing arrogantly. He grabbed onto Isaac's arm. "C'mon Isaac, you too." Kellyn laughed, dragging a very nervous Isaac with him. It's like they're doing this on purpose.

"So, are you going to the dance tonight, Keith?" Kate asked me, taking a seat next to me. We both just leaned up against the tree.

"Uh...yeah. But that's only because I'm making Kellyn and Isaac ask Juliette and Rhyth to go with them, though." I shrugged, explaining my reasons casually.

Kate laughed. "You got them to ask out the girls?! Oh my gosh, you're awesome, Keith!" Kate laughed, hugging me tightly. This action caught me off guard, and I was having trouble not losing my cool. "I've gotta see this!" Kate giggled, and she shot straight up from her seat. She dragged me towards where Kellyn, Isaac, Juliette, and Rhythimi were. We stood behind a wall out of sight, of course.

"Hey, umm...Juliette?" Kellyn nervously gulped, tugging at his shirt collar. His face was getting more red by the second, and it looked like the poor guy was having some trouble breathing.

"Yeah, Kellyn?" She smiled, and Isaac and Rhythimi just watched what was about to happen.

"I was...uh...wondering... If you would uh... LIKE TO GO WITH ME TO THE DANCE TONIGHT ONLY AS FRIENDS OF COURSE!" Kellyn nervously blurted out that last part, and he quickly slapped his hands over his mouth to shut himself up. He seemed horrified about what he just asked her. Poor guy. I'm not sure who's more nervous around girls any more, Isaac or Kellyn?

Juliette's jaw dropped to the floor, and she just stood there, blinking like an idiot. Rhythimi elbowed her in the side, mumbling something encouraging. It was probably along the lines of, "go for it!"

"Uh...sure!" Juliette sweatdropped, running a hand through her hair. It looked like she had stopped breathing for a moment there.

Kellyn looked relieved as he and Juliette left to go talk about something, leaving just Isaac and Rhythimi alone.

"Uhhmm...Rhythimi?" Isaac started to speak, and his face was as red as a Cherri Berri. Here it goes. The shyest guy on earth is about to ask out his crush.

"Yeah, Isaac?" Rhyth beamed at him, cheerful as ever. She crossed her arms, patiently waiting for what it was he was about to say. It seemed as if the source of her happiness was simply just Isaac being around her.

"Would you mind possibly accompanying me to the dance tonight?" Isaac nervously asked her, and the poor guy looked like he was about to faint from being so nervous.

Rhythimi's jaw dropped to the floor. "HELL YES OF COURSE I WILL!" Rhyth went wide-eyed, slapping her hands over her mouth. "I mean...Uh... Yeah, sure!" Rhyth awkwardly recovered from her outburst a moment ago.

Isaac didn't seem to mind, he just smiled and walked off with Rhythimi in the direction Juliette and Kellyn went in.

"Wow. I can't believe they actually went through with it." Kate blinked, shocked about what she just saw go down.

"Yeah, I know... Could've sworn they would've chickened out." I sweatdropped, rubbing the back of my neck.

Should I ask Kate to go with me? Wait...what am I thinking!? NO WAY!

Kate laughed, adjusting her spiky pigtails. "Well, I better catch up to Rhyth and Juliette before they come and drag me back to our room to get me ready for the dance..."

I interrupted her. "Kate, wait!" I grabbed her arm, keeping her from walking away from me. She quickly spun around, staring up at me with her big blue eyes. I suddenly felt even more nervous than before, and I got a fluttery feeling in my stomach. "Would you, uh...would you go with me tonight? To the dance, I mean..." ARCEUS PLEASE TELL ME I DID NOT SAY THAT OUT LOUD AND I JUST THOUGHT THAT INSIDE MY HEAD! Nope... I said it. Dang it...

Kate just looked at me with her sparkling blue eyes, kinda shocked at first... Wow was she pretty. Am I falling for Kate...? Oh great...

"Ok, sure! Why not?" She cheerfully replied, beaming at me. She then took off after Rhyth and Juliette, waving good-bye to me with a smile.

Did I just ask out Kate? Arceus help me. I don't know how I feel anymore.

* * *

**(Kate's POV)**

_"HOLY ARCEUS DID KEITH JUST ASK ME OUT?!"_ I panicked to myself, nervously tugging at my pigtails. He had to mean just as friends, of course! Yeah! That's it! How I managed to keep my cool when he asked me...only Arceus knows... Did I say yes? Aw crud, I did... Why did I say yes? Because Keith is my best friend, that's why! That is true... If I had to go with anyone, it would be Keith, since we're so close and all...but still... Why do I feel so awkward about this? I don't like Keith! Right? I saw Juliette and Rhyth starting to get ready back in our room, they had a dress layed out for me on my bed...Like hell I'm wearing that! "Hey, guys...you'll never believe what just happened..." I started to say, running a hand through my hair. That immediately got their attention. "Keith asked me to the dance." I mumbled, kinda embarrassed.

...

**~Awkward Silence~**

...

"IT'S ABOUT FREAKING DANG TIME!" Juliette shrieked, very excited all of a sudden. She shot straight up from her bed, nearly falling over.

"DID YOU SAY YES TO HIM?!" Rhyth hurriedly asked me, jumping up from her chair.

"Well...uh... Yeah, but I mean, we're just going as friends! That's all!" I sweatdropped, raising an eyebrow at their eccentric behavior. Why do I always feel like I have to explain myself to these two? Oh who knows...

"WELL THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING!" Rhyth excitedly shouted, grabbing me and practically throwing me into a chair. "Juliette, grab my makeup kit!" Rhyth ordered as she went and got an entirely new dress out for me and a new pair of heels.

Oh gosh...what have I ever done to deserve this torture...?

* * *

**(Keith's POV)**

"YOU DID WHAT?!" Isaac and Kellyn shouted at me, and their jaws crashed to the floor.

"Eheh...yeah...? I did..." I sweatdropped while attempting to tie my tie, and horribly failing.

"Keith, do you maybe..." Kellyn started to say, scratching the back of his head.

"Like...Kate?" Isaac finished his sentence for him, drawing conclusions.

I froze, completly stopping what I was doing. I can't believe I'm about to say this...And to these two idiots. "Uhmm...well. Actually, I might... I'm not sure!" I frantically replied as Kellyn fixed my messed up tie. I hate wearing a tux, it's so awkward and formal. And ties, seriously, who invented these dang things?

"WE THOUGHT YOU WOULD NEVER SAY THAT!" Kellyn shrieked like a little girl. He slapped his hands on the sides of his face, having a major fangirl moment. Can't really blame him.

"I have to admit, I didn't forsee you catching on to your feelings this early on, perhaps I'll lose the bet." Isaac sighed, casually shrugging his shoulders.

Bet? What bet? "Isaac..." I growled, slowly turning around to face him. "What bet?" I asked, starting to get ticked off. A vein was practically bulging from my forehead.

Kellyn slapped his hand over Isaac's mouth, scolding him for his slip up. "I...uh... Well, we all sort of made a bet on when you and Kate would hook up..." Kellyn nervously laughed, flashing me a cheeky grin.

What the hell? It was that obvious? They knew before I did? Actually, I'm still not entirely sure about how I feel. Kate's just my best friend... That's why I'm so protective of her, and why I care about her, and why I think about her all the time...oh ok, who am I honestly fooling? I like Kate...BUT ONLY A LITTLE!

"Alright, let's go get the girls now." Kellyn suggested, and he began dragging Isaac and I out the door. Kellyn and I had black and white tux's on, while Isaac had a white one. We rounded the corner and walked down the hallway to the girls room, and knocked on the door.

"Are you three ready to go?" Isaac politely asked, patiently listening for their reply.

"We're ready!" Juliette and Rhyth sang through the door, in perfect unison.

"I SWEAR TO ARCEUS THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL YOU GUYS ARE GETTING ME OUT OF HERE WEARING THIS DAMN DRESS! I REFUSE TO FREAKING MOVE!" I heard Kate yell. Yep. That sounds just like Kate alright. I laughed at her determination, shaking my head and slapping my forehead.

I could hear Juliette and Rhyth sigh from the other side of the door, they then opened the door and came outside. Isaac and Kellyn's heart's stopped. Rhythimi was wearing a light lavender off the shoulder dress with a white sash and white heels. Isaac looked like he was about to faint... Good luck man. Juliette had a red strapless dress with a black sash and black heels on, she nervously looked at Kellyn for his approval. I will never forget the look on my both of best friends faces tonight...

"Wow, Rhythimi... You look...amazing." Isaac stuttered, and I could see a lump in his throat form. Good luck man, you're gonna need it.

"Thanks, Isaac!" Rhyth beamed at him, and her cheeks were ever so slightly reddened. I have to admit, the girls cleaned up nicely.

"Juliette... You're... You're..." Kellyn stuttered, completely at a loss for words. He honestly couldn't even get one sentence out, he was that blown away.

"Yeah, Kellyn?" She interrupted his thoughts, looking up at him in the eyes. She bit her lower lip, bracing herself for harsh criticism of some sort.

"Beautiful..." He finally finished, and I swear Kellyn was about to fall over at the sight of Juliette.

Juliette blushed bright Cherri Berri red at Kellyn's remark, and she couldn't help but smile. She was relieved he didn't make some comment about how she could improve on something, or how he looked better.

"Hey, Keith?" Rhyth piped up, tapping me on the shoulder.

I just rolled my eyes. "You want me to try to get Kate out of the bathroom, don't you?" I groaned, I already could tell what she was about to ask.

"Could you, please?" Juliette pleaded, flashing me her Lillipup eyes.

I just huffed in annoyance. "Alright, I'll try." I threw my hands up in defense, giving in. I walked past my four friends, stepping into the girls dorm. I had to act quick before I got caught, luckily the bathroom door was just right there on my left. It didn't even take me five seconds to get Kate out of the bathroom. "Kate, if you don't come out right now, I'm going to kick down the door and drag your ass downstairs, and you know I'm now bluffing." I threatened her through the door, and I quickly stepped out of the way, anticipating what was about to happen next.

I heard a slight "Eep!" and a door lock being unlocked. The next thing I know, Kate came out, and... And... Wow. She...She took my breath away... Kate had on a one shoulder, sapphire blue dress that hugged her waist, and then gradually flowed outwards all the way down to her knees. The dress had a dark blue sash, and she wore dark blue heels. It really made her sparkling blue eyes stand out. Her hair was down for once, and it was a really nice change from her usual pigtails. Kellyn, Isaac, Juliette, and Rhyth started to snicker at the sight of my completely dumbfounded look. I was staring at Kate in awe, and she was blushing a shade of red that would put Cherri Berri's to shame. They all went ahead downstairs and left us alone.

I spoke up, "Shall we?" I asked while holding out my hand to her, flashing Kate a nervous smile.

"We shall." She smiled at me, took my hand, and we went downstairs to the gym were the dance was being held. It was actually a pretty fun night. Isaac danced with Rhyth every chance he got. Juliette kept hitting Kellyn every time he started to freak out about his looks. Kate and I also danced a few times. I got to glare at any other guy who asked Kate to dance, Isaac got to hang out with Rhythimi for hours, and Kellyn finally got over the shock of how nice Juliette looked and asked her to dance a bunch of times. I couldn't keep my eyes off of Kate pretty much the entire night. I can't believe I didn't notice this before, but...Kate... She... She's so beautiful...It's official... I like Kate... Aw crud, what am I getting myself into?

* * *

**Yay I've gotten 8 chapters done in about a day! Ceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllllllebration time come on! Eheh...just ignore me being a dork! Anyways, this will probably be the last chapter I post tonight, editing these things is really time consuming! And besides, I posted five whole chapters today! That's a lot! I think this writer deserves a little bit of a break. And it only has a total of 34 chapters, so it's not like this story is going to take me a whole year or something. Be patient my lovelies and wait for the next chapter update! Bye bye for now!**

**Read, review, and enjoy!**


	9. Chapter 9: Graduation!

**(Normal POV)**

It was a nice, calm, sunny day in Almia. Perfect for a graduation ceremony. Parents were coming from all over; Sinnoh, Johto, Fiore, you name it. Kellyn, Isaac, and Keith were getting dressed and ready for the ceremony in their dorm; while Rhythimi, Juliette, and Kate were doing the same in theirs. The day has finally come. They were going to graduate.

The guys all walked out of their room and headed downstairs to meet up with the girls.

"EEP! ISAAC, HELP!" Rhythimi shrieked, and she ran and jumped into Isaac's arms.

Kellyn, Keith, and Isaac were all looking pretty confused as to what was going on, until the sound of laughter broke the silence.

"HAHA! I told you, Juliette. Now... Pay up!" Kate said in a mocking tone, confidentially holding her hand out to Juliette.

Juliette just rolled her eyes, then slapped twenty poke dollars into Kate's hand. "I guess you were right after all, Kate... I didn't think Rhythimi was that predictable." Juliette sighed, then laughed a little at her blonde friend.

"Can I ask what's going on?" Kellyn spoke up, raising an eyebrow. Him and Keith were glancing back and forth between Isaac holding Rhythimi, and the laughing Kate and Juliette. Neither of the boys had a clue as to what just happened.

"Oh!" Kate laughed, covering her mouth in attempt to stop laughing. "I bet Juliette twenty poke dollars that if I captured a Gastly to scare Rhythimi with, that she would jump into Isaac's arms!" Kate laughed, slumping against Juliette for balance. This didn't really work, since Juliette was also laughing pretty hard.

Isaac and Rhythimi looked at each other kind of awkwardly and blushed. Isaac put her down, and they awkwardly looked away from each other, continuing to be embarrassed. Keith, Kate, Juliette, and Kellyn just busted out laughing at the sight of their two friends. Then it dawned on the guys what the girls were wearing.

Isaac looked at Rhythimi in awe as he saw she had a dark forest green strapless dress with a gold sash and gold heels on. Kellyn gasped as he saw Juliette had a dark purple one-shoulder dress with a black sash and black heels on. And Keith nearly fell over as he saw Kate with a white off-the-shoulder dress with a silver sash and silver heels on. The girls all laughed in unison at the guy's very delayed reactions. Then, the families started to arrive.

Kellyn took Juliette over to meet his adopted parents, and she introduced him to her parents and three older brothers. Isaac met Rhythimi's parents and her sister Cynthia, she was then introduced to his parents and his little sister Melody. Keith looked around to see if anyone came to see him, and sure enough, his Mom came. She had long red hair and emerald-green eyes, just like Keith, as Kate had noticed. Keith was talking to his Mother as he noticed Kate was on the balcony, all alone. He figured no one could come to see her, so he went and grabbed Kate and brought her over to introduce her to his Mother. BIG MISTAKE.

"Oh, Keith! Now, who is this? Your girlfriend? She's rather pretty!" Keith's Mom asked, admiring Kate's natural beauty.

"WHAT?! SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!" Keith shouted, completely mortified at his Mom's comment. Both he and Kate blushed furiously, not daring to make eye contact with one another.

"Well, she better not be, because I haven't given my daughter my permission to date anyone." A familiar voice to Kate laughed.

Kate stopped, and turned around on her heel. "DAD!" She shrieked in joy, and ran over to him. She jumped in his arms, and he spun her around as they both laughed. This caught everyone's attention. "I can't believe you're here!" Kate mumbled in awe, staring at her Dad with big blue anime eyes. She was thrilled beyond words to see that he had actually made it.

"Of course I am! I wouldn't miss my daughter's graduation for the world!" Spenser laughed, ruffling her hair. He hugged her tightly, causing Kate to giggle again.

Kate introduced her Dad, Spenser, to her five friends. Everyone was getting along well; chatting; crying that they were graduating; and laughing, of course.

**DING DONG! DING DONG!**

The ceremony was about to start.

* * *

**(Kate's POV)**

I can't believe my Dad actually came! I'm so happy right now! The ceremony is about to start, so I should probably go get seated now... I went and sat in between Keith and Rhythimi in the front as all of the families went and sat in the back. Kellyn and Juliette came and sat down in the row behind us, but where is Isaac?

Mr. Kincaid stepped up to the podium, and tapped on the microphone to test it out. It emitted a loud screeching noise, causing us all to yell and quickly cover our ears. Mr. Kincaid sweatdropped, apologizing for that mishap. He then began the ceremony. Rhythimi started crying alongside Juliette, so typical... "The Ranger School's Graduation Ceremony will now commence. First, our principal's congratulatory remarks. Principal Lamont, if you will." Mr. Kincaid started off the ceremony, signaling Principal Lamont to come up to the podium.

Principal Lamont jogged up to the stage in the auditorium, taking his place at the podium. "Congratulations Graduates! I am truly delighted that I can be here with all of you. Rangers, Operators, Scientists, and Mechanics. Though these paths may take you in different directions, what I hope for all of you is but the same. Don't worry, I'm not going to say something impossibly difficult or challenging. Please just don't forget to smile. That is all I wish of you. With these simple words, I wish you the very best of luck in all your endeavors." Principal Lamont nodded his head, ending his speech. We all applauded him as he walked off of the stage.

Mr. Kincaid walked back up to the podium once again, making another announcement. "Thank you, Principal Lamont. Next, let me call upon this graduating class's valedictorian. That would be our best student, Isaac." Mr. Kincaid smiled, applauding Isaac.

Isaac went over to the podium to give his speech as we cheered for him, he was smiling brightly. "Today, we leave the shelter of this place of learning and nurturing. It is a giant step for us in our pursuits of our long-held dreams. To the teachers who inspired us... To Janice who was a mother to us all... To all the Pokemon that loved us... And to all the books of the library...!" Keith and I groaned at that last part, facepalming. Of course the boy genius would make a pledge to the books... "We will never forget. Thank you so very, very much from all of us!" Isaac wrapped up his speech, earning a loud roar of applause from everyone in the crowd.

Keith and I yawned in the middle of Isaac's speech, and we laughed at each other for thinking the same thing. Rhyth scolded us for not paying attention. Boy am I going to miss everyone... Rhyth, Juliette, Kellyn, Isaac, Keith... If I wasn't around my friends, I'm sure it would reduce the probability of one of them finding out about me...but...

Is that really the best thing?

Mr. Kincaid took Isaac's place at the podium. "Isaac, thank you for the most moving words. Next, the conferring of the graduation certificates." Mr. Kincaid said, and we were all called up one by one to receive our certificates.

After we all sat down again, Ms. April spoke up. "I would like to call upon one student as the representative of the graduating class. Kate? Step forward, please." Ms. April smiled, and she began clapping for me along with everyone else.

HUH? Me? Aw crud...what am I supposed to say?!

"Congrats, Kate!" Keith congratulated me, ruffling my hair.

"Yay! You're the class rep!" Rhyth smiled, clapping vigorously. I started to make my way up to the podium. I could see my Dad watching me and encouraging me that it was going to be ok from the back of the auditorium, he knows how I hate public speaking. Ok... Just take a deep breath, and...

**BOOM!**

Huh? There was a sudden explosion, and I was knocked to the floor pretty harshly. Oww...that hurt.

"What was that? An explosion? Oh, Kate! Are you ok?!" I heard Keith running towards me as he said that, and he was definitely freaking out.

"Yeah, I'm ok." I winced, clutching my head. Keith grabbed my hand and he helped me up.

"That noise came from the basement!" Rhythimi noted, gossiping with the other students. There was an uproar of whispering people who were pointing fingers at the basement door.

"Everyone, keep calm!" Ms. April ushered everyone to calm down, trying to regain control over the room.

Mr. Kincaid spoke up, he seemed pretty nervous and fidgety. "I...I'll go see what that was!" And then he went down into the basement, taking off as fast as he could. That was...odd.

2 minutes went by, and...

"WAAHHHH! Stop! Stop that!" I heard Mr. Kincaid scream, and suddenly, two giant Tangrowth came rampaging out of the basement. Everyone started to panick as soon as they started thrashing about, and everyone started running for it. My Dad started getting everyone out of there right as one of the Tangrowth's tentacles hit me across the stomach and sent me flying into a wall. Ow...

"KATE!" I heard Keith yell, he ran in between the Tangrowth and I, trying to capture it. Everyone was screaming and running. It was a tough capture. The Tangrowth was mostly just a ticked off gargantuan Pokemon that kept thrashing about, definitely out of an ordinary Ranger Student's league. But of course, Keith isn't an ordinary Ranger Student, he's much better than that. A few minutes later, Keith managed to capture the Tangrowth, and he scooped me up off the floor in his arms, helping me up. "Kate, are you ok!?" He frantically asked, hurriedly inspecting me for any damage. He carefully set me down so that I was standing up once again.

"Yeah...I...I think so... KEITH WATCH OUT!" I shrieked, pushing Keith out of the way of the second Tangrowth's Headbutt attack... Taking the full blow myself.

**WHAM!**

I was thrown back into a wall, making a large dent in it. My head hit it first, absorbing most of the blow. I slowly slid down the wall, and I could feel a warm liquid trickle down my forehead. My vision was blurry, and there was a loud high pitch white noise in my ear, basically the sound a flash grenade makes after it goes off. Don't ask how I know that. I was aching all over, struggling to stay conscious.

"KATE!" I heard Keith scream my name, and he sounded very worried. I could hear even more screaming in the background, which wasn't helping my hearing situation.

I managed to pick myself up off the floor...barely...and I grabbed my Styler and went to capture the other Tangrowth. It was a challenging capture, but I managed to get it in under a minute. (Despite all of my injuries) As soon as I caught it and released it, I collapsed and blacked out. The last thing I remember was being in someone's arms before I was fully knocked unconscious.

* * *

**(Keith's POV)**

"Yeah...I...I think so... KEITH WATCH OUT!" Kate shrieked, and suddenly I was pushed out of the way of a Tangrowth's Headbutt attack by...Kate...Who took the hit for me... Oh my gosh...Kate! I saw her get up...barely... Walk over, and capture the Tangrowth. She started to pass out, and I quickly ran to her, catching her in my arms right before she hit the ground.

"KATE!" I yelled to her, and I was starting to freak out. She took the hit for me. And now she's hurt...

"Oh no, Kate! Kate, please wake up!" Rhythimi started to panick as she ran over to us, she had a very worried look written on her face.

"Kate... Oh c'mon, Kate. Please wake up..." I mumbled, my breath was a little shaky. I could feel my eyes start to water, and I carefully shook her shoulders.

"Nnggg..." Kate groaned, and she slowly started to open her eyes.

"KATE! Oh gosh, are you ok?!" I frantically questioned her, helping her up. I placed my hand on her back, helping her slowly sit up.

"No, dipshit. I just was slammed into a wall twice, head butted by a Tangrowth, and I fainted because I'm perfectly fine." She sassed me faintly, but I could hear her. I laughed and hugged her tightly. Even when injured, Kate managed to recover from it just like that. I helped her stand up, and I propped her up with one of her arms around me. Everyone began to file in (courtesy of Ms. April) and we started the graduation ceremony back up. "As class representative, I just wanted to say... That is definitely not how you should handle a Tangrowth rampage...just for future reference." Kate laughed, practically dripping with sarcasm. Everyone laughed at Kate's joke. She stumbled and began to fall from her injured head, and I scooped her up in my arms. She didn't seem to notice and just kept going with her speech. I have to admire her determination... "Well guys, we graduated! Before we have our little send off party, I just wanted to say one last thing... I hope you all try your best to make your dreams come true, and don't ever give up! Anything can be achieved if you put your mind to it!" She smiled, being enthusiastic.

Everyone cheered at Kate's speech, and the send off party began. I carried her off the stage, and Janice took us to the nurse's office to help me patch up Kate. She scared me half to death. What was she thinking? I should've taken the hit, not her.

"Keith...?" She mumbled, still in my arms as I carried her down the hallway.

"Yeah, Kate?" I worriedly replied, staring down at the fragile girl in my arms. She was wavering in and out of consciousness, and had a gash on her forehead. I was stricken with worry.

"Are you ok? You hurt anywhere?" She weakly asked me, and I could tell she was about to drift off again. Her eyelids fluttered, slowly starting to close.

"No, Kate. Thanks to you, I'm just fine." I smiled at her. She smiled back, and then blacked out again against my chest as we entered the nurse's office. After taking the hits she did, she was only worried about me? Wow... Kate's really something...

Janice could tell I was starting to freak out again, so she spoke up, trying to make me relax a little bit. "She probably just has a concussion, and a few scrapes and bruises. There's no need to worry." As she said that, Kate's Dad ran in.

He went over to Kate lying on the bed as Janice patched her up. "She going to be ok, Janice?" Spenser asked her, worriedly. He was freaking out just as much as me.

"After a couple days of resting, she'll be just fine. There's no reason to worry, for what I can tell, her injuries are minor." She patted Spenser on the shoulder, calming the Ranger down.

Spenser looked relieved. He then turned around, looked at me, and came over to talk to me. He put a hand on my shoulder, flashing me a grin. "Thanks for coming to Kate's rescue, she's too stubborn to ask for help when she needs it." Spenser and I laughed at that, knowing full well that it was true. "She's always too busy worrying about everyone but herself. I'm glad that she has a friend like you to do that for her and protect her when I'm not around." Spenser nodded to me, and I smiled.

His Styler beeped, and he quickly checked the message he just received. He was mad at what he just read, and muttered a few curses to himself. He then went over to Janice, telling her to keep him up to date on her condition, and with that he had to leave back for Fiore. That message must've asked him to come back to the Ringtown Ranger Base immediately, or something.

Principal Lamont entered the room and handed me two envelopes. "Thank you for you and Kate coming to everyone's rescue today, Keith. Both of your heroics will always be remembered." He smiled and then turned around, heading for the door. "Those are the letters containing the Ranger Bases you and Kate have been assigned to, good luck!" And with that, he left.

I went and sat in a chair next to Kate and torn open our letters. Mine read, _"Keith Jeremy Dazzle, you have been assigned to Summerland, Fiore. Please report to your boat in Pueltown by 6pm tonight and be ready to start your first day as a Pokemon Ranger tomorrow at 5pm. -Principal Lamont."_

I then tore open Kate's, praying to Arceus that we got to stay together, hers read, _"Katellina Lovett Hitomi, you are to report to the Vientown Ranger Base this afternoon at 4pm and be prepared to start your first day as a Pokemon Ranger at 7am sharp tomorrow morning. -Principal Lamont."_

Katellina Lovett? That's a pretty name... I quickly came to my senses and snapped out of it. Wait... We were being separated? My heart broke. Kellyn and Juliette got paired together to go to Ringtown, Fiore. (Juliette blames it on the pledge he made, but she's secretly happy about it) Rhythimi has been assigned to the Summerland Base, also. Oh joy, lucky me. Isaac got a job at Altru (figures) and now I have to go to Summerland, and Kate has to stay here? Will I ever see her again? Well, I'm not going to let this tear our friendship apart, even if that means us video chatting on our Stylers every single night.

"Nnggg..." Kate stirred, she was waking up.

"Hey, Kate! You ok?" I asked her, leaning over her bed a little to look at her.

"Yeah, I'm ok. Hey, are those our Ranger Base assignments?!" She excitedly asked, grabbing both letters and reading over them. Her face fell, and she was no longer smiling. She looked up at me with her sad eyes, sat up, and hugged me tightly. "We'll see each other again. I promise you that."

"I'll hold you to that promise." I told her, being all serious now. "C'mon, Kate. I'll help you on over to the Vientown Ranger Base and I'll spend time with you until I have to leave for Pueltown..." I sighed, not ever wanting to let go of this girl.

"Ok, but I'm going with you to Pueltown." Kate hugged me tighter, and I felt my shoulder dampen. She must've been crying. Aw, Kate...

"Stubborn much?" I asked her, stifling a laugh. I rolled my eyes, of course she just always has to have her way. It's not like I really mind, anyways.

"Of course! But that's why you like me!" She playfully bopped me upside the head, and we both just laughed. We sat there laughing for awhile, embracing one another. She didn't know how right she was...

* * *

**(Kate's POV)**

We walked together to the Ranger Base... Or should I say Keith pretty much carried me the entire way to the Vientown Ranger Base. Yeah...I may it may not have a minor concussion. We met up with that curious Buizel from before, and Keith gave in and made him his Partner Pokemon. Keith brought me to the Ranger Base, and I checked in with everyone. Barlow gave me the night off, and me, Keith, and Buizel spent an hour or two at Nabiki Beach. We spent our time hanging out with each other one last time before he'd have to go to Summerland. I mean... When would the next time we'd see each other again be? As it was getting late, me, Keith, and Buizel navigated our way through the Vien Forest, and made our way to Pueltown's harbor. I hugged Keith one last time before he boarded the boat to Summerland. Rhythimi took an earlier boat over with her family. Juliette and Kellyn left right after the party, wanting to catch an earlier boat. I guess they were eager to start their jobs as Rangers. Isaac walked Rhythimi the entire way to her boat earlier this afternoon, figures.

"This isn't goodbye for forever, you know." I mumbled to Keith, slowly looking up into his dazzling, emerald-green eyes.

"I know, Kate. I'm still going to miss you, though." He looked at me with a sad expression, and I could tell he was feeling very depressed. Then again, so was I. He's my best friend, and this is going to be really hard for the both of us. Is he really going to miss me? Well, duh. Of course. We're best friends! I'm going to miss him, too. He boarded the boat, and as it took off, he shouted something to me. "Don't worry, Katie. You'll get sick of my face sooner or later after seeing it so much in the newspapers!" He snickered, being cocky and arrogant as ever.

Well, Keith's back to his cocky self. "Stay in touch! Be safe! AND TRY NOT TO BE A RECKLESS IDIOT MOST OF THE TIME! YOU KNOW THAT I'M PRETTY MUCH THE ONLY PERSON WHO CAN SOMEWHAT TOLERATE THAT!" I yelled, waving good-bye to my best friend.

"OH SHUT UP!"

I didn't dare cry, I was being ridiculous. Stupid emotions... And then he was gone. All of my friends left, and now... It was just me. I'm all alone now. But, is that really the best thing? Secret or not? I don't know...

* * *

**Ahhgg, the feels! So many feels in this chapter! I'm so happy people are actually reading my story already! No, really...you have no idea... I only have like 1 review so far, but that doesn't make it any less exciting!**

**Anyways... Read, review, and enjoy the story!**


	10. Chapter 10: First Day on the Job

**(Kate's POV)**

After my sad good-bye yesterday with Keith, I walked back to the Ranger Base and had some bonding time with the Rangers. I share a room with Luana and her Buneary, now. Barlow gave me my new Ranger Uniform, and I looked great in it! After listening to Crawford's lame jokes for two boring and dreary hours, Luana and I turned in for the night. We chatted for a bit, until we both passed out, which was probably around 11pm. I woke up, got dressed, and went to report for duty. Barlow sent Crawford and I around Vientown and Chicole Village, delivering the Vien Tribune newspapers. The purpose of that was so I could get to know people. (Not exactly my idea of an exciting first mission...oh well) I was introduced to Mimi, and her four Happiny. I also chatted with Mr. Woodward for a bit. I talked to Little Tim again and his wife, Big Bertha. She's apparently pretty famous around here for her milk pudding and kind heart. I met a few other people in Chicole Village, also. When we got back, Barlow told me that I could go patrol around the Vien Forest for a bit. I complied, and took the opportunity to take a walk around and collect my thoughts. I was patrolling the forest when I heard a voice, a strange voice.

_"Help, please..."_ Huh? Is someone talking? The voice was ever so slightly strained, it sounded like they were tired. _"Yes! You! Miss Ranger, please help me!"_ There's that voice again... But it's like it's in my mind, and I'm the only one who can hear it...how strange. _"Well, duh... That's because I'm communicating with you through telepathy, you silly Swanna!"_ Huh?! What!?

I followed the voice in my head deep into the Vien Forest. At this point, I wasn't even sure where I was. The voice sounded like it belonged to a Pokemon that needed my help, which fueled my determination to find it even more. I came into a clearing, deep in the Vien Forest, and I saw a cage with a...a...Holy...is that a Mew?! I dropped my jaw.

Sure enough, there was a pink Mew trapped inside of a strange looking cage. It didn't look like any ordinary cage, either. On a hunch, I concluded that it was built to capture Psychic-type Pokemon, so that they can't teleport out of it. What is this? The work of poachers? _"Miss Ranger! Oh, can you please get me out of here? I'm sorta stuck... Eheh..."_ Mew sweatdropped, sheepishly scratching the back of her head. She wrapped her little pink paws around the bars, and stared up at me with her big blue eyes.

I shook my head, and scolded myself for not reacting sooner. "Of course!" I ran over to the Mew, and began helping her get out of the trap. There was a padlock on it, so I couldn't just open it...hmm...ah! I got an idea, and grasped two of the bars with a firm grip. I pulled them away from each other with as much strength as I could possibly muster, successfully making a hole in the cage large enough for Mew to fly out. As soon as she got out, I released the bars, out of breath from holding them open. They snapped right back into place. "Are you ok?!" I asked the Legendary Pokemon, sincerely worried about her well being.

Mew giggled, patting me on the head as thanks for my heroics. _"Yes! Thank you! I was patrolling the forest, looking for my friend Celebi, when I got trapped in this cage by some shady looking guys..."_ Mew explained, and I made sure to remember every detail. _"Thank you, Miss Ranger! What's your name?"_ Mew asked me. She was flying around in circles around my head, staring at my face every time she passed by it. I laughed at her silly and energetic behavior.

"That's terrible!" I patted her on the head, being comforting. The poor thing...she was nearly kidnapped! "Is there anything else that you can tell me about these shady looking guys? And my name is Kate, by the way!" I asked Mew, while introducing myself to her. All of a sudden, I felt a weird sensation in the back of my mind. It felt as if someone was looking at my memories...oh no. Is she doing what I think she's doing?!

Mew made a silly thinking face, pressing her paw on her chin. _"All I can remember is that it was a guy and a girl, and they wearing black and purple uniforms. Sorry that I couldn't be of much help, Kate!"_ She sweatdropped, apologizing for her lack of details.

"That's ok!" I laughed, patting her on the head. "Well, you're free to go now. I'm going to head back to the Ranger Base to report this, then turn in for the night..." I began to turn around and walk off, but Mew stopped me.

_"Wait, Kate! I have an idea!"_ Mew said, teleporting in front of me. That memory-scanning feeling abruptly stopped.

"Yeah, Mew?" I asked her, waiting patiently for what she was about to say. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, and adjusted my pigtails.

_"You don't have a Partner Pokemon, right?"_ She asked me, and she began circling my head once again.

Well, thanks for rubbing it in my face. "Well...No?" I sweatdropped, not entirely what the point was that she was trying to make.

_"Why don't I be your Partner Pokemon?"_ Mew suggested, beaming at me. I just dropped my jaw for the second time today. _"I really like you, Kate, and I could be really helpful to you on missions!"_ She explained.

WHAT?! Did a legendary Pokemon just offer to be my Partner Pokemon?! Something tells me there's more to this... "You... You would do that?" I asked her, very suspicious.

_"Of course!"_ Mew giggled. _"I'd love to be friends with you, Kate! And I could use my powers to transform into a different Pokemon, so that no one will be suspicious! I can't exactly go around as a Mew now, can I?"_ She laughed, putting her paws on her hips.

She makes a valid point. "Ok! I'd love for you to be my partner... But... What Pokemon should you be?" I asked her, pressing my index finger to my lips. Yeah, there's definitely more to this than meets the eye, now I just have to wait for the right moment to ask her...

_"How about another Psychic-type?"_ Mew shrugged her shoulders, making the suggestion. It was a pretty good idea, a Psychic-type would be very helpful on missions. If I ever get assigned to any... I might just end up an ordinary Ranger, like Luana. And it's not like there's anything bad about that! It's just...I'd like some action, you know?

"Well, in that case..." I mused out loud, placing my hand on my hip. "How about an Espeon? That way when I go back to Barlow to report, I can tell him that I met my Partner Pokemon, an Espeon, via being trapped in a cage in the Vien Forest by an unknown shady group!" I suggested with a shoulder shrug. I mean, why not? It sounds like a pretty good idea to me.

And with that, Mew transformed into an Espeon. _"That's a great idea!"_ She giggled. _"Let's go back to the Ranger Base, now!"_ Espeon suggested, seeming pretty pumped and excited. Then again, so was I! I just got my Partner Pokemon, and a LEGENDARY Pokemon, at that!

And with that, my new partner and I went back to the Ranger Base. I explained to Barlow what had happened. Luana adored Mew (or should I say, Espeon) for the rest of the night. I went back to my room to turn in early for the night, I was exhausted. It was just Mew and I in the room, so she went ahead and transformed back into her original form. I set down my Styler on my nightstand and sighed. Mew sensed something was up.

_"Kate? What's wrong?"_ She asked me, hovering over to my bedside.

Right. She's a Psychic-type, can't really hide anything from her, I guess. Well, there's two things on my mind... "It's nothing, I... I just miss my friends. I was hoping that Keith would maybe call me tonight, but I guess he's too busy..." I moped in a sad tone, resting my head in my hands.

Mew came over and nuzzled my face. _"It's ok, Kate. I'm sure your friends will call as soon as they can. Life as a Ranger is pretty busy, you know."_ She shrugged, making a very good point.

"Yeah, I guess your right." I agreed with her. I then shifted my gaze over to the energetic pink legendary, shooting her a quizzical look. "You know, don't you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Mew pretended to play dumb, floating upside down. _"Know what?"_

I crossed my arms in a huff, shooting her an unamused glare. "Back there in the forest, you read my memories, didn't you? And you found out about my...secret, didn't you?" I questioned her, raising an eyebrow.

Mew sighed, avoiding eye contact. _"I...well, yeah... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry! I was just curious about who you were, so I..."_

I cut her off. "It's fine, Mew." The pink legendary stopped rambling, and she flew down to my side. "The only reason I keep it a secret is because I was instructed to do so, and in fear of rejection." I sighed, looking down at my lap. "As long as you never leave me because of knowing my secret, I don't care if you know."

_"I promise you, Kate. I promise that I'm not going anywhere."_

* * *

**(Keith's POV)**

I finished my day early so that I could call Kate, but... How can I? I don't think I could bring myself to talk to her... I just need to sort out my feelings... Yeah. That's it. I just need to sort things out before I talk to Kate. I'm sure she hardly misses me at all, I mean...she's got everyone at the Vientown Base to keep her company.

_"Keith?"_ Buizel came up to me, looking kind of concerned. He stared directly into my eyes, clearly suspicious.

"Yeah, Buizel?" I asked, looking down at the orange otter-Pokemon in my lap.

_"You ok?"_ He asked me, tilting his head to the side. The guy seemed pretty concerned about me, all right.

...

"Honestly... I don't know" I sighed, looking out of my window.

I don't know...

* * *

**Kind of a lame chapter, I know, but the story gets better, I promise! This was sort of just a filler chapter. Stay tuned for the rest of the story! Not bad for the first book I ever wrote, huh?**

**Read, review, and enjoy!**


	11. Chapter 11: Marine Cave Mission!

**(Kate's POV)**

_"Kate... Kate, wake up..."_ Espeon shook my shoulders, trying to get me up out of bed.

"Nnngggg..." I stirred in my sleep, and my eyelids slowly fluttered open. Espeon was sitting next to me on the bed, shaking me awake. "Huh? Espeon? What time is it..." Espeon just rolled her eyes, pointing at my alarm clock... "HOLY... I'M LATE!" I shouted, scrambling out of bed. I got dressed and rushed out the door really fast with Espeon by my side. I dashed into the main room of the Ranger Base, still not really awake and out of breath. "I'm so sorry I woke up late this morning, Leader!" I frantically explained myself to Barlow. He just laughed and reassured me I was only fifteen minutes late, and it wasn't anything too serious. Luana, Crawford, Elaine, and Anna were all sitting at the table, eating breakfast. They laughed at my little "entrance" this morning.

The phone rang, and then Barlow picked it up. "Hmm? Marine Cave, you say? Alright, I'll send Crawford and our Rookie over to investigate it right away. Thank you for the tip, Mr. Woodward." Barlow hung up the phone, then cleared his throat. He turned to face us, gaining our attention. "Alright, listen up! We've recieved a complaint that strange noises have been heard coming from the Marine Cave. Crawford, I want you to take Kate with you to investigate. I'm declaring this as an official mission!" Barlow ordered, doing his Ranger Pose.

Crawford shot up from his chair, nearly spilling his bowl of cereal. "YES SIR!" Crawford and I both saluted, and quickly dashed out the door. I could hear Luana and Anna laughing at us, back inside of the Ranger Base.

* * *

**MISSION 1: INVESTIGATE THE MARINE CAVE!**

"So... Where exactly is the Marine Cave, Crawford?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. We were navigating our way through the streets of Vientown, heading west.

"It's on Nabiki Beach." Crawford began to explain. "The last time that you were there, it was high tide, so you couldn't get to it then. Right now it's low tide, so we have access to it." He finished up his explanation, patting me on the head.

I shook off my annoyance, shooting Crawford a quick glare. "Oh... Ok." Espeon and I nodded in understanding as we walked on the sand, towards the cave. I took a look around, noticing a few things. No one was at the beach right now, and the sun looked like it just came up. The ocean was at low tide, and I noticed a cave entrance embedded into the side of a cliff. It was straight up ahead, on my right. "So, is that it?" I asked, pointing to the cave entrance.

"Yep! C'mon, Kate." Crawford quickened up his pace, and we jogged over to the Marine Cave entrance. "Let's go in, but watch out for the Shellos. They leave a sticky slime residue behind when they crawl on the ground!" Crawford warned me, dragging me inside the dark and damp cave.

Noted. "Ok!" I beamed at him. "Thanks for the ti..." I cut myself off, abruptly covering my ears. "AGH! What is that noise?!" I shrieked, Espeon and Budew seemed to get dizzy just listening to it. It was a high pitch screeching noise that echoed throughout the Marine Cave, it almost sounded mechanical.

"I don't know! But it sounds like it's coming from deeper inside the cave!" Crawford cringed, sticking his fingers in his ears. So I'm not the only one getting a migrane, here?

All of a sudden, a Zubat that looked really confused and in pain flew over and attacked me. I captured it properly with my Styler, but it didn't seem to affect it at all. My Styler screen didn't read, "Capture Complete!" like it usually does, and the Zubat wasn't registered in my browser. The Zubat just released itself on its own, flying away as if nothing had happened. It looked to be suffering from some sort of pain, and my capture had no affect on it whatsoever. Huh?

"Kate, let me see your Styler... Are you sure you captured that right?" Crawford asked, raising an eyebrow in the direction that the Zubat went in.

I handed him my Styler as he inspected it with utmost curiosity. "Yeah, yeah I did... It's like it couldn't be befriended..." I wore the most awe-struck and confused look ever, running a hand through my hair.

"Pokemon that can't be befriended?" Crawford shot me a quizzical look, also raising an eyebrow. "This is just getting weirder and weirder..." Crawford mumbled to himself, and we walked deeper into the cave.

"Crawford, what the hell is that?!" I asked, pointing to an odd red machine in a corner of the cave. It seemed to be omitting that strange pulsing noise, supposedly hypnotizing the Pokemon. A Pichu, two Shellos, and a Zubat were all circling the strange machine. They all appeared to be in a trance of some sort, and a painful one at that. Poor things! Who would do this?!

"I don't know!" Crawford blinked, not having any idea what the heck this thing was. "It kinda looks like a mailbox." He muttered, stroking his imaginary beard. I just gave him an _"are you kidding me?!"_ look with a raised eyebrow, crossing my arms. How the heck does he think this looks like a Mailbox?! "We should find a way to stop it to end the Pokemon's suffering." Crawford suggested, taking a look around.

The Pokemon are being hypnotized by this strange machine, but... Oh gosh! I didn't even to think to ask Espeon if she was ok! "Hey, Espeon? Are you ok? Is this noise bothering you?" I quickly asked her when Crawford had his back turned, I was concerned for my Pokemon.

_"It's annoying and giving me a headache, but otherwise, I'm ok, Kate."_ She groaned, clearly hurting because of the mechanical pulsing noise.

Hmm... I've got to stop this machine... But, how? Maybe...Maybe I could perform a target clear on it? I scanned it with my Styler. So I need the Area Move, "2 Soak," huh? Hmm... I bet I could find a Gastrodon in here to help me... "Crawford, wait right here! I'll be right back!" I said to him, quickly dashing past him and deeper into the cave.

"Huh? Oh, but! Ah... Ok..." He sighed, giving up. I had already left him and went deeper into the cave.

As soon as I went deeper into the cavern, I froze in place. That's weird... The Pokemon in here don't seem to be affected. I guess the strange machine is out of range... I came across a boulder that was blocking a door to what looked like another part of the cave. I heard Pokemon cries coming from behind it.

"Hey, Espeon? Do you think you can smash this boulder for me?" I asked her, pressing an index finger to my lips.

_"Sure, Kate."_ She shrugged, beginning to crush the boulder with her psychic powers. _"You know... I could've transformed into a Pokemon with the Area Move, "2 Soak," for you back there, earlier, Kate..."_ She informed me, finishing off the boulder.

I walked past the obliterated boulder, stepping inside of the cavern. I started to capture the Gastrodon I found, while simultaneously talking to Espeon. "Yeah, I know. But I would have a hard time explaining that to Crawford..." I sweatdropped, finishing my capture and starting to head back over to Crawford and the strange machine.

_"Oh, that's right!"_ Espeon giggled, rolling her eyes. She continued to trot behind me as I jogged the whole way back, and I found the Prankster King impatiently waiting for me.

"Kate, there you are! Where did you go? And why do you have a Gastrodon?" Crawford asked as I walked over to the machine. I didn't even have to answer that. He put two and two together, and backed up a pretty good distance from the strange machine, taking Espeon and Budew with him.

"Gastrodon! Can you please use your Water Gun to destroy this machine?" I asked the Pokemon, politely. She seemed all for it and proceeded to destroy the machine. I quickly ducked out of the way just in time.

**BOOM!**

The pulsing noise stopped. I guess it worked!

"Great job, Kate!" Crawford congratulated me, walking back over. "Now, let's get this thing back to the base for analysis..." He mused, crouching down to lift up the machine. "Gweh...urrf... Uh, Kate? A little help?" Crawford pleaded with a goofy grin, still trying to pick up the machine.

"Oh, right! Sorry!" I apologized as I bent over to help him pick up the machine. Holy Arceus this thing is heavy! Even with both of our strength combined, this hunk of metal wasn't budging.

"Yeah, there's no way we can pick this up by ourselves." Crawford sweatdropped, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. "Kate, go on back to the Ranger Base, and report back to Barlow what happened. I'll call Almia's strongest person via Voicemail to come help pick this up and deliver it to the Ranger Base." Crawford ordered, pulling out his Styler.

"Ok, will do!" I smiled, then suddenly became very confused. "Wait...if Barlow's coming here to help pick up the machine, then how am I supposed to report back to him when I get there?" I asked, very confused. I could tell that Espeon was thinking the exact same thing. We both just raised an eyebrow at Crawford.

"Oh, haha! I'm not calling Barlow!" Crawford laughed, and I sweatdropped. "I'm calling someone who managed to beat our Leader in arm wrestling in three seconds flat!" He explained, beginning to call someone from his Styler.

I just raised an eyebrow, awkwardly scratching the back of my head. This person is that strong? Wow... "Ok! Well, I'll see you back at the base! Bye, Crawford!" I smiled, waving to Crawford. I spun around on my heel and took off towards the cave entrance.

And with that, Espeon and I left the cave and started to make our way back to the base. We started to walk up the steps leading back to Vientown, when someone called my name.

"Oh, Kate! There you are!" Huh? I looked up and Big Bertha was walking towards me, walking down the stairs. "For some odd reason, your Crawford called me out to the Marine Cave to help him with something. Wonder what it is?" Big Bertha shrugged, then continued. "Anyways, my husband got jealous, and he said that I was going on a date with Crawford in the cave...so, I told him, that's EXACTLY what I'm doing! Haha!" Big Bertha chuckled, brushing past me and began making her way towards the Marine Cave to meet up with Crawford. "Well, I'll see you back at the base, Kate!" She called out, waving good-bye to me.

I just dropped my jaw and sweatdropped, and I let out a nervous laugh. She's Almia's strongest person...? I just shrugged, and continued to make my way back to the Ranger Base. As soon as I got in, I explained everything to Barlow. I explained how there was a strange red machine making a pulsing noise, which lead to the Pokemon not being able to be befriended; how I figured out how to destroy the machines by using target clears; and how Big Bertha and Crawford are on their way as we speak with the machine for further analysis.

"Wow! That was quite the mission for you, Kate!" Barlow chucked, patting me on the back. I don't think he knows his own strength, because that caused me to lose my balance and fall forwards a little bit. "I'm going to go ahead and say...MISSION CLEAR!" Barlow did his Ranger Pose, and I quickly scrambled up off of the floor. "Kate, I promote you to Ranger Rank 1!" Barlow smiled and nodded.

"Woohoo! I went up a rank!" I cheered, doing my Ranger Pose with enthusiasm. Big Bertha walked in with the machine and plopped it down in the corner of the base, in Elaine's Mechanic's station. Crawford came inside shortly after, looking pretty worn out.

"Wow, Big Bertha..." Barlow sweatdropped, shooting a nervous glance at the machine she so carelessly hefted over here. "Did you really heave that thing over one shoulder and carry it all the way over here? Well... You sure are Almia's strongest person." Barlow said, clearly amazed by her strength. He thanked her as she went home.

"Machine?" Elaine popped her head around the corner, her eyes grew wide as she made eye contact with the strange machine. "I MUST DISMANTLE IT! I MUSTTTT!" Elaine shrieked like a psychopath, and she whipped out various tools. She lunged straight for it with a chainsaw and a wrench in hand.

"Elaine! No!" Barlow yelled, trying to stop her. "We should wait for Professor Hastings to get back from Fiore to inspect this!" He turned to Crawford and Luana, who were chatting with Anna at her Operator's station. "Crawford, Luana! Restrain her! Anna, get the shock collar!" Barlow ordered.

"Shock collar?" I raised an eyebrow, shooting Espeon a nervous glance. I just stood there with the most shocked expression I've ever made, reluctantly watching this whole scene go down.

"BUT THAT COULD TAKE DAYS!" Elaine wailed, screaming and thrashing. Crawford grabbed her, making her drop the chainsaw. Elaine quickly kicked him in the shin, trying to make him let go of her.

"OW!" Crawford cried out. "ELAINE, STOP! Luana, quick! Put the shock collar on her! Anna, push the button!" Crawford panicked, continuing to restrain Elaine. Luana quickly slapped the shock collar around Elaine's neck, then ducked for cover. Anna pushed the button, which activated the shock collar.

**Zzzzt!**

**BAM!**

Well, Elaine's out...for now. Could this day get any weirder? Well, on the bright side... I think I'll get along here just fine!

"AHHG! SHE'S WAKING UP!" Luana shrieked, pointing to Elaine's twitching body on the floor.

**Zzzzt!**

**THUD!**

I just sweatdropped. Uh...is this supposed to be considered normal?

* * *

**This was a fun chapter to write! Thanks for reading, everyone! I really appreciate the support!**

**Read, review, and enjoy!**


	12. Chapter 12: That Burning Feeling

**(Normal POV)**

Kate yawned as she walked out of her room and into the Ranger Base's main room, stretching her arms a little bit. She noticed Barlow was up, and he seemed to be waiting for her. "Good morning, Leader!" She cheerfully greeted him with a smile. But of course, that was short lived. Kate caught a whiff of a scent in the air, and scrunched up her nose. "What the...? What's that smell?" She raised an eyebrow. "Did Luana burn toast, AGAIN?" Kate groaned, facepalming.

**Whoosh!**

The back door proceeded to open, and out came Luana. She yawned, having just woke up, and walked up to Kate. "How could I have burned toast if I just woke up?" Luana asked Kate, yawning for a second time.

"Girls, there's no time for this!" Barlow interrupted, impatient as ever. He shook his head. "The Vien Forest is on fire!" Barlow informed them in a serious tone.

"FIRE?!" The girls started to freak out, going wide-eyed.

"Yes!" Barlow said. "Crawford is out there trying to put it out right now as we speak!" He began to explain. "I need you two to go out there and help him put it out! I'm declaring this an official mission, and you two better hurry!" Barlow ordered, ushering them out the door.

"YES, LEADER!" The girls saluted, making a run for the burning forest. There wasn't a second to waste, they had to put out that fire. And fast.

* * *

**(Kate's POV)**

**MISSION 2: PUT OUT THE VIEN FOREST FIRE!**

"Espeon, use Psychic to move that burning log out of the way!" I commanded as Espeon cleared the Vien Forest entrance. Luana and I dashed inside the forest, already starting to choke on ash and a lack of oxygen. I noticed a crying little girl close to the entrance, and a Happiny by her side...wait...Is that? "MIMI!" I shouted, and I ran and picked up the crying girl in my arms, hugging her and trying to comfort her. "Mimi, what are you doing here!? It's dangerous!" I scolded, very worried. "The forest is on fire! I've got to get you out of here..." I turned, about to walk her out of the forest when she interrupted me and started crying again.

What? I have I thing with kids... Don't judge... "Katie Kat, wait! I can't go!" Mimi cried out, and I stopped running. "My other three Happiny got spooked by the fire and ran off into the forest!" Mimi sobbed, worried about her Pokemon.

Yes, I know... She calls me "Katie Kat." She's only six years-old! You expect me to care what she calls me? Mimi is practically my little sister. I don't mind if she nicknames me, as long as it NEVER gets back to Keith... He would never let me live that down... *shudders at the thought*

"Ok, Mimi. I'm going to leave you with my friend Luana here while I go get your Happiny, ok? Don't worry, she's a nice Ranger and she'll protect you." I calmed down Mimi, handing her to Luana.

Mimi sniffled. "...ok, Katie Kat! I will wait right here with the nice Ranger lady!" Mimi smiled, wiping a stray tear off of her cheek.

Espeon and I took off, heading deep into the forest fire. We were on the lookout for Mimi's missing Happiny. This shouldn't be too difficult, right?

* * *

**(Luana's POV)**

When we got into the forest, I noticed a little girl crying. And before you could even say, "wait!" Kate had already run over to her, scooped her up, and started to calm her down. Who knew Kate had mother-like instincts? And that she was really good with kids... I'm really not that great with kids, I get nervous around them. I'm nervous that I'll somehow screw up. The girl, Mimi, stopped crying after Kate hugged her and calmed her down. She told Kate, who she called, "Katie Kat," (That's soooo cute!) that her Happiny ran off into the forest. Kate left Mimi with Buneary and I, and she and Espeon took off in search for Mimi's Happiny.

As I was holding Mimi, waiting for Kate to get back, I couldn't help but wonder... When did Kate grow up so fast? I mean... She only just became a Ranger two months ago... And I can already tell she's a better Ranger than both Crawford and I combined. I don't mind or anything... I can tell Kate is just destined for greatness. Hero's aren't born, they're made. And Kate is definitely going to be a hero.

I've been a Ranger for a year now, and in the two months Kate's been a Ranger, she's become a better one than me and has already gained more experience. I'm so proud of her! I think of Kate as my little sister. She's just like the little sister I always wanted, so I treat her like one. She doesn't seem to mind. Instead of me protecting my, "little sister," Kate's really been the one protecting me, and I admire her for that. She's smart, quick witted, reacts fast, funny, caring, and frankly the best Ranger I've ever met. I know this sounds weird to be praising a rookie so much! But... I can't help but think that Kate was just MEANT to be a Ranger.

I mean, sure, all of us at the base WANT to be Rangers, but... Kate just seems more determined. She's practically married to her job, way too mature for a fifteen year-old girl, and she has amazing Ranger skills. I've never met anyone so determined to protect Pokemon and people... To protect the world...

"Hey, Luana! I'm back! I found the Happiny!" Kate shouted, gaining my attention as she ran up to Mimi and I.

Mimi was overjoyed to see her Happiny again, and she went home after hugging Kate one last time. Kate and I ran closer to the center of the forest, looking for Crawford. We have a mission to complete, after all! But still... I really do admire Kate.

* * *

**(Kate's POV)**

I returned with Mimi's Happiny and noticed Luana was deep in thought. Oh well, probably shouldn't think too much of it. I gave Mimi her Happiny back and she hugged me, she then ran out of the forest. I told Luana we better get going and go find Crawford, so we went and took off into the forest. I bumped into a few Wartortle's, and I captured them fairly quickly, figuring they'd probably come in handy putting out this fire. I had the Wartortle's target clear a bunch of burning logs, and Luana and I ran across a bridge as we went deeper into the forest.

I looked ahead, noticing that the fire was pretty bad at this point. And who was standing in the middle of it, directing the Pokemon to safety? Why, the Prankster King, of course! "Hey, guys! Is it hot enough for you?" Crawford joked as he put on his usual goofy grin, waving us over.

Luana and I just groaned at his sense of humor, rolling our eyes as we ran up to him. "Crawford, this isn't the time to be joking around!" Luana scolded him, flashing him a glare. She punched him in the shoulder. And it sure wasn't a light punch, based off of how far Crawford went flying.

"You're right, I'm sorry!" Crawford sweatdropped, sheepishly apologizing. "I've been leading the Pokemon out of the forest and into safety, but... If we don't do something about this fire and quick... this forest is going to turn to ash really fast!" Crawford was being concerned and serious for once, which was so unlike him.

Hmm... I wonder... I ran towards the left side of the forest that lead to the river, leaving Crawford and Luana in the dust as I got an idea. They didn't even notice I left because those two were in a "lovers quarrel." I swear... Will those two just admit they like each other already? Anyways, Espeon and I reached the river, and as I suspected, there was a Blastoise sleeping next to it.

**(A/N: KIDS DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME)**

Now... Blastoise are NOT typically a friendly Pokemon, but, me having my ways with Pokemon, I decided not to capture it and just ask it politely for its help. I was in no real danger, if anyone else tried this... Well... It probably wouldn't end well. I don't know if you know this about me, but, during that year before Spenser adopted me, I was put into some pretty bad foster homes. I always ran away and went into forests, so... My only friends (until I met everyone at the Ranger School) were Pokemon. Over time, I developed a strong bond with Pokemon, and I learned how to talk to and understand them. But of course, that's not the only reason, but I'm not going to get into that. One day, after my foster Dad beat the shit out of me, I ran away into the Lyra Forest. (Mind you, I was only six years-old at the time, so it was easy for me to get lost) I had wandered deep into the forest... And then I heard a loud cry.

* * *

**~Flashback Sequence, 9 years ago~**

_"What was that...?" I thought to myself as I wandered around the Lyra Forest. I walked into a clearing as a saw a Venusaur on its side, it looked badly injured. I guess it was in a fight with a Fire-type, because it had gashes and burns all over. Ow... I ran up to the Pokemon and began to inspect its wounds. It was startled at first, but then it relaxed after I spoke to it._

_"It's ok, Mr. Venusaur! I'm not gonna hurt you! Would you like me to help you get better?" I asked the large Pokemon, looking down at it with my innocent eyes._

_The Venusaur slowly and weakly nodded, giving me its approval. I had no idea that someone was watching me as I treated its wounds. I climbed up the tree that the Venusaur was lying under. Recognizing the leaves, I picked a few and climbed down. I put a few into my mouth, chewed them up, and then put them on the Pokemon's burns. (I know that's gross, but you had to do that for the leaves to release their medicine) I went and picked some vines, picked up a fairly large piece of sturdy bark, and I scooped up some water from a nearby stream in a curved bowl-like leaf._

_"Here you go." I made the Venusaur sip some water as I used the rest to clean off the gashes. I then put the piece of bark up against its leg and tied the vines around it to act as a make-shift splint. This leg had a particularly large gash on it, compared to the rest of the wounds on its body. __"Ok, Mr. Venusaur... Do you think you can stand up?" I asked while using my cute Lillipup eyes. The Pokemon looked at me for a second, nodded, and slowly got up with my help. "Will you come with me? I'll try to help you get out of this forest and take you to a Ranger Base, so that they can properly fix you up... But... I honestly don't know where I am! I'm sorta lost..." I told the Pokemon as I looked down at the floor, kind of embarrassed. The Venusaur nuzzled me and began to follow me, I smiled._

_"Well, I think I can help you get out of this forest and __to the Ranger Base." An unfamiliar voice said._

_"Huh!? Who said that?!" As I asked that, a tall, greenette guy in a Ranger Uniform came out from behind a tree and walked up to the Venusaur and I. _

_I hesitated for a moment, but I noticed he was a Ranger, so I decided to trust him. Maybe not only could he help this injured Venusaur... But maybe... He could help me? The nice Ranger guy, who told me his name was Spenser, took me and the Venusaur to the Ringtown Ranger Base. We chatted the entire way back, and I began to trust him. He was the first friend I ever had, really... He took the Venusaur over to the medics, and they whisked it away to treat it properly. Meanwhile, Spenser and I sat in chairs in the waiting room in an awkward silence._

_"You know... You did a really good job treating that Venusaur with what you had." He mused, smiling at me._

_"Hmm? You really think so?" I blinked, staring at Spenser with big blue anime eyes. It didn't take me long at all to adopt him as my idol._

_"Definitely!" Spenser grinned, ruffling my short brunette hair. "You have amazing skills with Pokemon. I'm impressed. Where did you learn to do all that? And how to talk to Pokemon?" He curiously asked me, raising an eyebrow._

_"Well... For the past year, I've sorta been raised by Pokemon." I started to explain, sheepishly. My eyes darted from Spenser to the floor, and I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. Spenser flinched, and had a shocked look on his face. He then started to notice all of the bruises I had all over me. "All of the different foster parents I keep getting stuck with are mean to me, so I just keep running away and I go live with the Pokemon in the forest. They take care of me as I take care of them. So over time, I learned how to bond with them and talk to them." I explained, staring at the wall in front of me. Of course, at the time I thought that was the reason for my Pokemon skills, but I would soon find out the real reason for why I'm so good with Pokemon._

_He seemed really surprised at this, as if it wasn't normal how I was being raised. Well...was it? "How did you get those bruises...?" He cautiously asked, pointing to some of the purple marks on my arm. _

_I tugged down my sleeves to cover them up, they must've got pushed up when I was climbing those trees, earlier. "My foster daddy got mad at me today, and he hit me a bunch. That's when I ran away into the forest and got lost." I shrugged, starting to explain. "Then I found the Venusaur, and I didn't want anyone else to be hurt, so I tried to heal it. Then you found me, and now we're here." I explained, being casual, as if this was a normal day for me. Which it kind of was._

_Spenser flinched again. He seemed to be boiling mad when he heard the first part of that. "Would you like to stay with me?" He asked._

_"Huh?" I jerked my head to the side really fast, and I blinked repeatedly at Spenser._

_"You're my friend, right? And you trust me... right?" He asked, and he tilted his head to the side a little bit while looking at me._

_"Well, yeah..." I nervously shuffled, not really sure what his point was._

_"Well, what if I adopted you? Would you like that? I won't hit you like those other jerks did. I promise." Spenser asked, smiling brightly at me._

_I flinched at this. No one has ever been this nice to me before... Ranger Spenser was the first friend I ever had, and I'm not used to having people want to help me...or even want me in the first place. I mean, I'm just a freak. I've been told that my whole life, that I'm a mistake. A waste of time. I started to tear up at that. "Would... Would you really do that?" I looked up at him with my tearful expression, wiping at my eyes frequently._

_"Yeah, yeah I would." Spenser smiled, ruffling my hair. "You could live with me, here at the base; help us out with the Pokemon; and maybe, if you want..." He started to say, and trailed off at the last part. I was all ears at this point. "If you want..." Spenser started again. "I could teach you how to become a Pokemon Ranger, just like me." He suggested, and I caught him shooting me a sideways glance. He was smirking, waiting for my reaction._

_I just beamed at him, shooting up from my chair. "I'd like that!" I said, jumping into his arms and hugging him. This startled Spenser at first, but then he smiled and hugged me back._

_"So... I've been wondering..." Spenser mused. "What's your name?" He asked me._

_I giggled, and started to bat at his long green hair. "Kate! My name is Kate!" He smiled down at me, amused at my playful nature. "So, does this mean that you're my new Dad now?" I asked in an innocent tone._

_He smiled and hugged me. "Yeah kiddo, and I'll never leave you. I promise."_

_I'll hold you to that promise._

* * *

**~Back to Present Day~**

"Umm... Excuse me, Mr. Blastoise?" I knelt down next to its head and gently rubbed it's face. It woke up, kind of mad at first. It then looked at me, sort of confused, as if it was studying me to see what I was going to do next. "The Vien Forest is on fire, and instead of capturing you against your will, I was wondering if you would come with me to help put out the fire?" I asked it in an innocent and curious tone, batting my eyelashes. I pleaded the Water-type, pressing my hands to my lips.

_"KATE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! Blastoise aren't typically friendly Pokemon!"_ Espeon warned me via telepathy to prevent the Blastoise from hearing this. She was extremely worried, keeping her distance.

I just rolled my eyes. "I'd like to at least give him a chance, Espeon." I explained in a calm tone.

The Blastoise got up, and nodded its head at me. I led him back towards Crawford and Luana, who I noticed were STILL bickering. Something about yesterday morning's prank...oh yeah. I just laughed at the memory of Luana in nothing but a towel (Crawford confiscated ALL of her clothes while she was in the shower) banging her fists on Crawford's door, demanding he gave her clothes back to her. Just a normal day at the Ranger Base...

I shook my head, snapping out of it. I led Blastoise and Espeon closer to the center of the Vien Forest, near the most intense part of the fire. "Blastoise, could you please use Rain Dance right here?" I asked him softly, hoping that he would comply.

He nodded, and then proceeded to carry out the Area Move.

**Drip.**

**Drop.**

**Pitter.**

**Patter.**

**WHOOSH!**

And then it started to downpour. It worked! I put out the fire! Crawford and Luana stopped bickering for a moment. Confused, they looked over at me, trying to figure out what just happened while they weren't paying attention. I pointed to Blastoise, and I rolled my eyes as it slowly came to them that I went and got one to go put out the fire. The rain stopped. I was soaking wet, and so was everyone else. More like dripping with victory!

"Thanks for the help, Blastoise! You can go back to taking your nap now!" I hugged the Blastoise with a cheeky grin, who just smiled at my kindness. He walked off in the direction that he came from.

"Wow. Good thinking, Kate!" Crawford commended me, patting me on the back.

"Nice job putting out the fire!" Luana cheered, as cheerful as ever.

However, I wasn't paying attention to what they were saying. I was too distracted by a shady figure I saw in the distance behind them. Espeon saw him too and started to growl. The guy stopped, looked at us, and took off running. _"Is this guy seriously running away from Rangers? This can't be right..."_ I thought to myself as I pushed past Crawford and Luana, taking off after the guy. I managed to corner him in a cul-de-sac, with Crawford and Luana right behind me. The guy was covered in oil and burns, and seemed to be pretty shaken up. He was standing next to what was left of another one of those strange red machines. The guy had a scared and guilty look on his face.

I walked up to him and arrested him, directing him back to the base for questioning. "Are you ok?" I asked him, wanting to make sure that he was ok. No reply. But he seemed to be shocked that I asked him that. "My name is Kate, and I'm going to take you back to the Ranger Base to help you with your burns and ask you a few questions, ok?" I said to the nervous guy. Still no reply. But he seemed kind of shocked at my kindness. I just sighed, shrugging my shoulders. "Alright, you can give me the silent treatment, I don't mind. But I'm just warning you now... My Base Leader isn't gonna treat you with the same kindness, I'm afraid." He seemed to get more nervous at this.

All four of us walked into the base. I gave Elaine a quick summary about what I know about the guy I arrested, and I asked her politely to take him to the back room and treat his wounds. She nodded and did as I asked with the nervous guy following right behind her. I walked up to Barlow and debriefed him about everything that happened; Mimi's Happiny, how I put out the fire with the Blastoise as Crawford and Luana led the Pokemon out of the forest and into safety, and the shady guy I found covered in oil and burns next to one of those machines.

"Wow. Great job, Kate!" Barlow obnoxiously ruffled my hair, earning a scowl from me. "You can have the rest of the night off, and... Erm... Go get your burns treated, too..." Barlow sweatdropped, pointing to my arms and torso.

I got burned? Hmm... I guess I was so focused on saving the Pokemon that I didn't even notice...

"Kate, I promote you to Ranger Rank 2!" Barlow grinned, fist-bumping me.

I got excited and did my Ranger Pose. "Awesome! Alright, well, I'm turning in for the night! See you guys in the morning!" I waved to everyone as Espeon and I walked back to our room.

"Night, Kate!" Everyone replied. Luana and Crawford smiled, then went back to arguing about something...AGAIN. Barlow and Anna waved, congratulating me on my excellent work as I passed by.

I smiled at everyone, walking through the back door. I passed the infirmary, noticing Elaine treating the nervous guy's burns. He seemed to be warming up to her a little bit. I continued walking down the hallway, looking at the doors on my left. Elaine's room was first, then Crawford's, Barlow's...ah! There's my shared room with Luana! I didn't hesitate to open the door and walk inside, kicking off my boots at the door. As I sat down on my bed, I felt all of the Adrenaline wear off...

"HOLY ARCEUS THIS HURTS!" I cried out in pain while looking over at my burns. From what I could tell, they were only first degree. But that didn't make it hurt any less!

Espeon giggled and sat next to me, and she got to work healing me. _"Gosh, Kate. Don't be such a baby! They're not THAT bad."_

I just scowled at her, then got lost in my own thoughts. Wow, today was a long day. I wonder... How is Keith doing?

_"I haven't seen him or talked to him since graduation..."_ I thought to myself, suddenly growing very sad. It's been almost two months, you know... I have tried to call him, too! Whenever I do, his Styler is either always busy (probably capturing something) or he drops my call because he's preoccupied. It's kind of hurtful...is he ignoring me? No, he can't be... I just sighed, feeling sorry for myself.

**SLAP!**

"OWW! ESPEON, WATCH IT!" I scolded my partner for whipping one of my burns with her tail.

She giggled again. _"Sorry... Katie Kat...I was trying to lighten the mood."_ She giggled again.

By injuring me further? I just glared at her. She's never going to let me live that nickname down, is she?

_"Nope!"_

What the...? Oh, right. She's a Mew and can read my mind... Great.

_"I heard that."_

OH COME ON!

* * *

**WOW that was a long chapter! So we learned a bit more about Kate's past and how Spenser adopted her. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! **

**Please read, review, and enjoy!**


	13. Chapter 13: Those Aren't Mailboxes

**(Kate's POV)**

"Professor Hastings just got back from his business trip in Fiore today, he's on his way here to take a look at that machine. Kate? I wan't you to go escort the Professor here." Barlow ordered, walking right past me. He didn't even make eye contact.

I agreed to do so, but I was still annoyed with Barlow for this morning. Barlow ordered to have Ollie (the suspicious guy from yesterday) tied up after his burns were healed. The guy still refuses to talk. I questioned Barlow's authority on this and told him it was inhumane to tie up this guy, for all we know he could be innocent! Probably not... But still. You get my point. At least Professor Hastings is going to come and examine this machine... I hope he takes it back to the Ranger Union. That thing has been giving me headaches since I found it two months ago.

I stormed out of the base and started to head towards the forest entrance, still very ticked off. A guy with white hair and wearing a lab coat stepped out, mumbling something to himself. "I don't know whose idea of a prank it was, but that silly barrier on Lookout Ridge... Who knows what they'd hope to achieve, but a hopelessly flimsy thing it was. A chop here, a kick there, and it fell apart as if it were made of toothpicks! A spot of exercise, that was all that was! But that dashed Wendy, suggesting she'd fly me to Vientown on her Staraptor... She said that knowing full well how I detest the very thought of flying... Tease me will she? But the joke's on her! Walking is the best for health, not riding everywhere. Of course my impatient nature means that I'm always jogging rather than walking... Mutter mutter..." The man looked up from the ground, just now noticing me awkwardly standing here. "Hmm? Who might you be? A Ranger, are you? Do you make a habit of eavesdropping on old folks like me?" The man asked, eyeing me curiously.

I just blinked, then threw my hands up in defense. "What? No! No of course not! I'm sorry." I sheepishly apologized. "I'm Kate, and our Leader asked me to escort you to our base!" I quickly explained myself, getting on the defensive.

"Oh, wait...I remember you! You came out on a 1-Day Internship!" The man pointed to me, remembering something. "Ah, so, you've graduated from the Ranger School, and you've made it as a Ranger. I'm Professor Hastings of the Ranger Union. I'm pleased to meet you, Kate." Professor Hastings introduced himself to me, quickly shaking my hand. "Now, come! We'll jog to the Ranger Base!"

And with that, we jogged the rest of the way back to the Ranger Base. As we entered, I noticed Elaine couldn't take it anymore, and she was about to lunge for the machine. Again... That is, until Anna grabbed the shock collar remote.

**Zzzzt!**

"AAAAGH!"

**BAM!**

Professor Hastings and I just sweatdropped. "If you're so eager to dismantle that machine, Elaine, you can help me with it." Hastings awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

"Really? Yay!" Elaine immediately shot up from the floor, completely brushing off the fast that she just got electrocuted. She and Hastings walked over to the strange machine, beginning their examination.

"Hmmhmm..." Hastings mused, pressing his index finger to his lips. "So, this is your strange machine... Oh, now wait..." Hastings blinked, doing a double-take. "I've seen something like this somewhere. It was recently, too. Uh... That's it!" He snapped his fingers, drawing a conclusion of some sort. "I've seen this same thing on the way over here! In Pueltown! Yes, it was in Pueltown where I saw some men carrying some machines like this. I remember them struggling with one, presumably because of its heavy weight. I'd taken them to be mailboxes, but it seems I was mistaken!" He stood up from the floor, spinning around to face Barlow. "We need someone to conduct an investigation in Pueltown right away!" Hastings ordered.

Why does everyone think these things are mailboxes?! Wait...did he say investigation? Oh I'm all for that. "Hey, Leader?" I put my hands behind my back, looking up at him with Lillipup eyes. "Since I figured out how these machines can be destroyed, I was thinking... Maybe I could go to Pueltown to investigate?" I asked in a pleading tone while batting my eyelashes, hoping that he would say yes.

Barlow just rolled his eyes, succumbing to my adorableness. "Alright, alright." Barlow put his hands up in defense. "This is an emergency mission. Kate, take Luana with you, and go investigate the strange machines in Pueltown!" Barlow ordered, pointing at the base's front door.

Yes! I need to call Juliette later and thank her for all of her drama lessons. What? You didn't know she used to do theatre? Well, her lessons may have been totally boring to me at the time, but it did prove to be useful in the future. "C'mon, Luana! Let's go!" I yelled with excitement, dragging her out of the base.

We ran all the way through the forest until we stopped to catch our breath at Lookout Ridge. Luana calmly walked up to the edge, looking over the calm, peaceful Pueltown... "TALK OLLIE!" Luana shouted at the top of her lungs, and it echoed for miles at an insane volume.

My hands immediately flew up to cover my ears. Ow, ow, ow, oh my gosh, ow, I'm deaf, ow. Yeesh, she's loud... "Ow... Luana, warn me next time you're gonna do that..." I winced, waiting for the ringing in my ears to stop.

"Oh, sorry! It felt good to do that." Luana sheepishly replied, nervously shuffling.

A woman, who I would presume to be the Lady of the Lookout Ridge, approached us. "Do you see that construction site over there?" She stood in between Luana and I, pointing to a large purple in-progress tower being built over the horizon. "They're putting in a tower. They say it's going to be the symbol of peace in Almia. There's a contest for naming it. How does 'Echo Tower' sound to you?" The lady mused.

"Yeah, I know! That sounds great!" Luana smiled, making small talk with the woman. "Oh, Kate! We should probably get going now," Luana suggested as I was gazing at the purple tower being built off in the distance.

"Oh yeah, right!" I shook my head, snapping out of it.

We headed west from there, making our way to Pueltown. Before we got there, I captured a Bibarel just outside the entrance, I had a feeling that I'd need it later. Oh how right I was. As we entered Pueltown, it was pure chaos. There was that same pulsing noise from before, except that it was much louder this time. Hmm...there must be more than one of these things. Pokemon were rampaging in confusion, straining to regain control of...themselves? That can't...be...right...

A man standing in front of the Ranger Depot spotted us, running over pretty quickly. "Hey! Rangers! Just the people I wanted to see!" The man had pink hair and was dressed in sandals, shorts, and a...Hawaiian shirt...? Is he a tourist, or a local? I couldn't really tell. "Howdy! The name's Brook! I'm in charge of the drawbridge north of this town, but that's beside the point." Brook introduced himself, quickly getting sidetracked. "The point I'm trying to make is: what's become of the Pokemon around here? Just between us, I saw something decidedly wrong." He started to say, excessively rambling. I was all ears at that last part. "I saw some shady characters placing these...giant...oh, I don't know... Mailboxes in town."

I just groaned at this. "HOW DO THESE THINGS EVEN REMOTELY LOOK LIKE MAILBOXES?!" I thought to myself as I facepalmed at the stupidity of society. Mailboxes?! Of all possible things...

"Right after that, the Pokemon in town all went weird like they are now." Brook furrowed his eyebrows, spinning around in a circle. "There's something crooked going on!" Brook continued.

_"You don't say?"_ I thought to myself.

**MISSION 3: DESTROY THE STRANGE MACHINES!**

"Ok! Thanks for the tip, Brook." I smiled, then turned to Luana. "Luana, you check out the west side of town, and I'll investigate the east." I gave out the orders, earning a confirming head nod from Luana.

And with that, we went our separate ways. I managed to restore order to the Pokemon in the center of the town, destroying two of those red machines. I used the Bibarel I had previously caught. I was standing underneath the bridge when I overheard a conversation between two shady looking characters, they were wearing black and purple uniforms.

_"Those are the guys that tried to capture me in the forest!"_ Espeon whispered, pointing her paw up at the two figures.

I decided to eavesdrop on the conversation, I wanted to see if I could learn something important.

"Heh, that's that. All the Gigaremo units are set. Finally." The shady looking guy said, brushing the dust off of his gloves. He wore a confident smirk, and I just glared at him. Gigaremo? Is that what those machines are?

"Why is it that those Gigaremo machines are so ridiculously heavy?" The shady looking girl complained. "Four guys! That's what it takes to move one. Couldn't they have designed it with the guys that have to use it in mind?" She whined, very obnoxious like.

They went to the east side of town, better follow them. I then went towards the harbor and turned left, going up some stairs leading to the east side of the town. I captured an Elekid and a Growlithe, figuring they'd be helpful. There was a blue... 'Gigaremo,' was it? Yep. At the bottom of the stairs was a blue Gigaremo this time. Odd... I scanned it with my Styler and found out that it needed the Area Move, "2 Electrify."

"Elekid, please use Thunderbolt on the Gigaremo!" I asked the Elekid that I had previously captured. After the Gigaremo exploded, I heard a scream coming from the top of the stairs.

"Ahhh! Mr. Brook! Help meeee!" I heard a little girl scream. From what I could tell, she sounded very afraid and in serious trouble.

Huh? Espeon and I bolted up the stairs as fast as we could. There was a familiar little girl being circled by two Magby's and two Elekid's.

"Hang on, Melody! SUPER BROOK JUMP!" Brook yelled as he jumped into the circle of rampaging Pokemon, landing next to the girl. Melody? Wait... Isn't that...

"Oh! Big brother's friend! Help us!" Melody cried out as she noticed me running up to them.

Yep. That's Isaac's sister alright. "Ok guys, hang on!" I called out, scanning my surroundings until my eyes landed on a green Gigaremo. I scanned it, noticing that it needed the Area Move, "2 burn." I asked the Growlithe I captured earlier to destroy the Gigaremo.

**BOOM!**

The Gigaremo was destroyed, and the Growlithe ran off. The Pokemon circling Brook and Melody ran off, regaining their senses. "Melody, are you ok?" I worriedly asked as I ran to her, knelt down, and hugged the poor scared girl.

"Yeah, I'm ok..." Melody trembled, wrapping her arms tightly around my neck. "Thanks, big brother's friend. Umm... I saw some bad-looking people walking to the harbor." Melody told me, pointing her finger in the direction of the harbor.

Bad looking people? Hmm. "Ok, thank you for telling me." I smiled, standing up at patting her on the head. "I'm gonna go check out the harbor... Brook, do you think you could..."

He cut me off. "I'll escort Melody home, no worries, Ranger!" He flashed me a bright grin, grabbing Melody's hand.

I saluted. "Thanks, and it's Kate, by the way." I smiled, nodding my head.

"Hmm..." Brook mused, and Melody tugged on his shirt sleeve. She was probably signaling him to take her home soon. "I'll have to remember that. Kate, I'll be seeing you around!" He waved, walking off with Melody by his side.

I ran back down the steps, turned left, and made my way to the harbor. The last time I was here was when Keith left for Fiore... My thoughts were interrupted by the voices of more of those shady guys. I quickly hid behind some crates as I listened to their conversation. There were five of them this time. One had a slightly different uniform, guess he was some sort of higher-up. They were standing around a yellow Gigaremo, just talking to one another.

"Some no-good Rangers are going around wrecking the Gigaremo units!" One of the shady guys complained, groaning in frustration.

"It's because we took so long installing them." A different guy sighed, scratching the back of his head. "It's not our fault they're so heavy. It's alright. We managed to score some data from the experiment. We should ditch this backwater place without getting into useless trouble." He suggested, sounding anxious.

Experiment? Something tells me these guys aren't petty crooks and they mean business... I ran out from behind the crates and confronted the group, jumping up on top of another crate that was in front of them. They were startled at my presence. I put my hands on my hips and spoke in a serious tone. "Hey, you dorks! Who are you people? Can you please explain exactly what those machines are? And what is this experiment you mentioned?" I asked them, smirking arrogantly.

"Y-You vandal!" One of the shady guys stuttered, pointing a shaky finger at me. "What do you have against the Gigaremo? Treat things with respect!" He huffed, crossing his arms.

_"Seriously? Do you even have to ask what I have against them?"_ I thought to myself as I kept on listening. I was enjoying watching these guys squirm.

"Who are we, you ask?" A different guy scoffed, arrogantly pudding up his chest. "We're Team Dim Sun! We're a criminal syndicate with dreams of world domination! We came to Pueltown for experimenting with our Gigaremo machines, to see if Gigaremo units will let us control Pokemon like puppets!" The Dim Sun Minion radiated confidence, grinning very proudly.

I just smirked and thought, _"How stupid ARE these guys?"_ Espeon just started to giggle at their stupidity, due to her playful nature.

The Team Dim Sun Admin started to freak out, slapping the guy who blabbed upside the head. "Whoa! Why did you tell her anything?!" He yelled at the minion.

"Oh, no! I thought I was being helpful!" The minion started to say, flailing around in a panick.

Well, actually, he was. To me, at least. I tried to suppress laughter while listening to these guys bickering with each other. This was just too entertaining.

"She took advantage of my kindness! I'll make her forget what she heard with a little unfriendly persuasion! Team Rattata, attack!" He sent a team of four Rattata on me, and I whipped out my Capture Styler. I captured all four at the same time in a matter of five seconds. Was that all they got? Seriously? The Dim Sun Minion just sweatdropped, scratching the back of his head. "Uhhh...I underestimated you, but this time, it's for real! Go, Toxicroak!" He laughed, pointing a finger in my direction.

Toxicroak? Oh shi...! I barely had any time to react as a Toxicroak lunged at me with a slash attack. I managed to react fast enough and backflip off the crate out of harms way, and I whipped out my Styler. I was in mid-air when I heard...

**Click!**

I looked up as I landed to see Reporter Hans taking pictures of the action... Figures. That guy has been asking me for stories left and right ever since my heroics in the Marine Cave. It's a good thing the Dim Sun idiots didn't notice him up there because I REALLY don't have the time to protect a civilian AND capture this really agitated Toxicroak. No doubt this was gonna be in the Newspaper tomorrow. After about five minutes, I managed to capture the Toxicroak, it then calmed down and ran away. The Dim Sun idiot... I mean... Admin... Spoke up.

"That's enough!" He groaned and facepalmed. "It's a waste of time to engage her! Sound the retreat! But we have to take this Gigaremo back to the Hideout! It's heavy but the punishment for failure will be heavier still!" He commanded.

Before I could even blink, the Dim Sun Minions and the Admin picked up the Gigaremo, jumped onto a boat, and took off in the direction of what seemed to be Boyleland. I can't believe I let them get away... I was busy blaming myself for their escape that I didn't notice Brook came running over to me, and we watched the boat get smaller and smaller in the distance.

"Darn it! They're getting away!" He slapped his forehead, watching the boat begin to disappear over the horizon. "Who knew they came by sea?! My raising the bridge was a wasted effort. But there's nothing to worry about. I may not look it, but I'm one fine swimmer, if I may say so myself. I'll catch 'em, and haul 'em back, boat and all, as my gift to you! Just let me take care of things!" Brook said as he started to run towards the edge of the pier, flashing me a not-so-reassuring smile.

"Oh, wait. Brook! No! Stop!" I waved my arms in the air as I took after him, but I was too late.

"SUPER BROOK JUMP!" He yelled, jumping into the ocean. He began to swim out to sea.

**SPLASH!**

Wow, he's really determined... I just sweatdropped as an Angler came up and began talking to me. "He'll be fine, I came out fishing after the Pokemon quieted down. So, what's the first thing I see? Brook, sandals in his mouth, swimming out to sea. Care to tell me what's up?" The Angler asked me.

"Well... He uhh..." I blinked and stumbled over my words, pointing a shaky finger out at the ocean. "He went chasing after some crooks who fled in a boat... I'm a little worried." I said to the Angler, twirling my bangs nervously.

"Oh, I think I get the picture. _'Just let me take care of things!'_ Am I right? It's nothing new. Just let him do things as he likes. He can swim all right, but he's not about to catch up to any boat. He'll be back soon enough." The Angler reassured me, laughing in amusement.

**SPLASH!**

As if on cue, Brook climbed up onto the pier. He walked over to me, looking kind of upset that he didn't catch up to the boat. "It's not possible!" Brook panted, trying to catch his breath.

The Angler spoke up. "Pueltown's known for this salty sea breeze and Brook here." He laughed, pointing at the dripping wet, pink-haired bridge operator.

I came to my senses, shaking my head. Oh shoot...I need to report in. I clicked on my Styler screen and Voicemailed Luana.

**-Voicemail! Voicemail!-**

"Luana! It's me, Kate! Misson Clear! Let's meet up at the base to report to Barlow!" I said into my Styler, looking at Luana who was walking the streets of Pueltown.

"You got it, Kate! I've destroyed all of those weird machine thingy's on my end over here... Uh... Kate?" Luana raised an eyebrow, pointing at Brook behind me. "Why is Brook standing next to you, soaking wet...?" Luana asked, looking at Brook and I through her Styler screen.

"Uh... It's a long story." I sheepishly replied, sweatdropping and scratching the back of my head.

We hung up and I started to make my way back to the base. I gave the full report to Barlow via Voicemail; The criminal syndicate responsible for all this is called Team Dim Sun, the multi-colored Gigaremo's and their respected target clears, the yellow Gigaremo and how they escaped by sea, and how Brook attempted to apprehend them. He laughed at the last part. I finished my report as I hung up and exited Vien Forest: I walked into the Ranger Base, seeing that Luana had already beaten me there.

"I'm reporting back for duty, Leader!" I said in a cheerful, but tired tone. Today was a long day. Espeon was pretty exhausted, too. Those Gigaremo's don't control her mind, but she still suffers from a massive headache with each encounter.

"Oh, hey!" Barlow smiled, waving back at me. "Good going, you two!... Kate? Why the long face?" He asked me in a concerned tone, raising an eyebrow.

"Like I reported by Voicemail, I'm upset that I let those five Team Dim Sun creeps get away." I sighed, feeling pretty depressed. I looked down at the floor, shamefully avoiding eye contact. "What makes it worse is how they also got the one remaining Gigaremo machine..." I said in a disappointed tone.

Barlow tried to cheer me up. "You're being too hard on yourself. You two did more than enough for a Rookie Ranger and a Second-Year Ranger." He patted us on the back. "What does concern me is this 'Team Dim Sun.' What are they about? Anyways, you two have done well! It's Mission Clear!" Barlow said, doing his Ranger Pose. "Professor Hastings and Elaine are taking apart that Gigamori machine."

"Barlow, it's called a Gigaremo." I corrected him politely, sweatdropping at his mispronunciation.

"...What's that? Gigaremo, and not Gigamori?" He raised an eyebrow, then scoffed. "You know what I meant. I just need to get that 'Giga' part right. You guys can have the night off." Barlow dismissed us, going to discuss something with the Professor in private.

I didn't think anything of it at the time, so Espeon and I went to our room to crash for the night. I changed out of my uniform and set my Styler on my nightstand. As I crawled into bed, I looked over at my Styler and sighed.

_"He'll call. Don't stress, Kate."_ Espeon reassured, climbing in bed next to me.

"I know, it's just..." I started to say, hesitating a little.

_"It's just what?"_ She interrupted. Impatient as ever I see.

"Juliette calls in at least once a week, she makes it a double call with Kellyn, since they're stationed at the same base. Isaac chats whenever he's on break. Rhyth has called frequently and stayed in touch, she and Keith are stationed at the same Ranger Base... But..." I cut myself off, hesitating a little.

_"But?"_ She inched closer to me, ushering me to continue.

"Every time I mention to Rhythimi how Keith hasn't called or stayed in touch, she reassures that he misses me, probably more than she does. But... I don't believe her. I think Keith's just forgotten about me and Rhyth is trying to spare my feelings..." I sighed, resting my head in my hands. It's been months since I last saw or spoke to Keith. I miss my best friend...

_"Nonsense!"_ Espeon shrieked, startling me so much that I actually fell off the bed. _"I'm sure that he misses you, Kate! He's probably been busy, there's no way he's forgotten about his best friend!"_ Espeon frantically reassured me. I just clutched my now-aching head, scrambling up onto the bed once again. _"There's been Dim Sun sightings in Fiore, he's probably been busy investigating that."_ She explained, using her psychic powers to undo my pigtails.

That's true... Dim Sun HAS been spotted in Fiore, but their criminal activity rates aren't as high as Almia's. Guess I didn't think about that. "You're right, Espeon." I sniffled, wiping at my eyes. "I'm just over thinking things. Goodnight." I lightly patted her on the head, jumping under the covers.

_"Goodnight, Kate."_ She curled up in a ball at the foot of my bed, drifting off into a deep sleep.

She's right... Keith's just busy. It's not like he's been avoiding me on purpose or anything. And then after that thought, I joined Espeon and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**(Keith's POV)**

**~Meanwhile, in Summerland~**

_"C'mon, Keith. You so have been avoiding her on purpose."_ Buizel raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, but I could tell that overall he was concerned for me.

"I know, I feel bad about that... But..." I cut myself off, my breath hitched. I couldn't force out the words.

_"But what?"_ He asked, very skeptical. He jumped up onto the bed, taking a seat next to me.

"Being separated has made me realize even more that I REALLY like Kate." I looked at the framed picture on my nightstand of Kate and I on graduation day. I miss her more and more each passing day, it's like an aching hole in my heart.

_"And that's a problem, HOW?"_ Buizel impatiently asked, shooting me a glare.

"Because...I can't tell her." I sighed, letting my head fall into my hands.

_"WHY NOT?!"_ Buizel shouted, shooting straight up from where he was sitting. _"I knew you liked Kate! You have to tell her!"_ He began violently shaking my arm, trying to slap some sense into me. _"Why won't you tell her!? She can finally be your girlfriend and...OOF!"_ I cut my spazzy partner off as I pushed him off of the bed. _"Heyyyy...! What was that for?!"_ Buizel asked me, kind of annoyed.

"You need to CALM THE HELL DOWN." I shouted in a serious and annoyed tone, crossing my arms in a huff. I continued, "I can't tell her because I know that she won't feel the same way, and it'll ruin our friendship." I told Buizel, feeling rather upset just talking about this.

_"Well, you're already doing that now by ignoring her... That's what Rhythimi told me, at least."_ He said in a matter-of-fact tone. Guess he has a point.

"Wait..." I raised and eyebrow, turning to look at Buizel. "You've been talking to Rhythimi? What did she tell you?!" I impatiently asked, very annoyed at this point.

_"Unlike you, Rhythimi has actually kept in touch with Kate."_ Buizel glared, crossing his little otter arms. _"They call each other at least once a week. Yesterday, when she got off of the video chat with Kate, she told me that Kate thinks you've forgotten about her and you don't care about her anymore." _

I just froze. Kate thinks I've forgotten about her? "I messed up... Didn't I...?" I sighed, looking over at Buizel.

"Yeah, you did!" Rhythimi chimed in as she barged into my room, scolding me with a mom-like tone.

"WHAT THE HELL, RHYTH?! NO ONE ASKED YOU!" I yelled and jumped up as she walked up to me.

"Relax, Keith." She rolled her eyes, shoving me back down into a sitting position on my bed. "That's not what I came to talk to you about." Rhythimi crossed her arms, giving me, '_the look.'_

"Then what is it?" I raised an eyebrow, looking up at the frazzled blonde-haired Operator.

Rhythimi just grinned. "Cameron told me to inform you that there's gonna be a conference to discuss Team Dim Sun. All of the Base Leaders in Fiore will be attending, and also the Ranger in Almia who discovered Team Dim Sun and their plans will be there to keep us up-to-date on what we're dealing with. It's at 3pm tomorrow in the conference room, so don't be late!" She said in a cheerful and informative tone as she spun around and left my room, closing the door behind her.

"Well Buizel, guess we better rest up for that meeting tomorrow, huh? I asked, I obnoxiously ruffled the fur on top of his head.

He glared at me for that last part, then shook it off, making himself comfortable. _"Yep. Night, Keith!"_

* * *

**(Rhythimi's POV)**

Oh this is going to be good...! I can't wait to see the look on Keith's face! He doesn't know that KATE is that Ranger coming down from Almia, and she doesn't know HE'S going to be there! Oh I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings. I snickered to myself as I walked down the hallway to my room. This is going to be interesting...

* * *

**Here's Chapter 13! Hope you guys like it! Can't wait for Chapter 14! Sorry this took so long, it was the Fourth of July weekend for me and I was busy. (American holiday that I totally find boring) 13 chapters down, 21 more to go! Wish me luck with the editing! And I just wanted to thank all of you for the support and reviews! Quite a few of them have been in Spanish (a language that I wish I could speak) but I've been putting them into google translate and have been happy with the kind words! Thanks, all of you! Your support and reviews is what keeps me going!**

**Read, review, and enjoy!**


	14. Chapter 14: Missing Kate

**(Kate's POV)**

I woke up, got dressed, and Espeon and I went to the kitchen to get some breakfast. Anna was making us breakfast, as usual. Elaine and the Professor were still investigating the machine, not having too much progress since she tries to obliterate it with various weapons every five seconds. Crawford was trying to convince Luana NOT to use the toaster (for the sake of all of us) And Barlow looked like he's been waiting for me to get up this entire time.

"Kate! Come here for a second, I have a job for you!" He ushered me over to the kitchen table, pulling the chair next to him out for me to sit in.

Yup. Looks like I was right. I took the plate of scrambled eggs and toast that Anna handed to me, and I went and sat down at the table next to Barlow. I started to eat my breakfast as I awaited my orders.

"Due to your recent discoveries about Dim Sun, there's a conference being held today that I need you to go to immediately. It's at 3pm today I'm Summerland, Fiore. You are to inform the Ranger Base Leaders of everything we know about Dim Sun. That way, they can use that information to their advantage while fighting off the criminals in their region." He ordered, munching on a bagel.

"I assume that there's a boat waiting for me in Pueltown's harbor?" I asked, taking a big bite of my toast.

"Yep." Barlow nodded, confirming my question. "As soon as you finish eating, you better take off so you're not late." He suggested, standing up from the table and making his way over to Professor Hastings.

It's only 7am, but it's going to take me at least 7 hours to get there by boat. I quickly finished eating, and got up with Espeon not far behind me.

I was about to walk out of the Ranger Base when Barlow stopped me. "Kate! One more thing!" He started to say, holding the door open for me.

"Yes, Leader?" I piped up, staring up at Barlow with utmost curiosity.

"I'm giving you a three-day mini vacation in Summerland after the conference today." He obnoxiously ruffled my hair, earning a laugh from me. "I figured that you could use it, since you've been putting in all those extra hours. Plus, you can visit your family in Fiore!" He smiled, waiting for my reaction.

A vacation? That means that I can hang out with Dad for a bit! "YAY! THANK YOU SO MUCH, LEADER!" I excitedly shrieked and hugged Barlow, then ran out of the base. I can't wait! This is gonna be great!

* * *

**(Rhythimi's POV)**

**~Meanwhile, in Summerland~**

Alright, I just got off the phone with Kate an hour ago, she should be arriving any minute. I'll finally get to see Kate and meet her new Partner Pokemon! Ok, it's 2:30, and the Ranger Base Leaders are already in the Conference Room. They're in there a little early, they just have to set up the meeting.

I made a mental checklist of people that are supposed to be here for the meeting. Elita, Wintown Base Leader, check... Spenser, Ringtown Base Leader, check... Cameron, Summerland Base Leader, check... Joel, Fall City Base Leader, check... Our Base's Rangers are here; Percy and Leilainy. Who's missing...? Wait... Where's Keith? Oh great... If he's late for the meeting, he's gonna be in so much trouble... Oh I should probably go meet Kate at the pier so I can lead her back here...

"RHYTH!" Someone shouted, bursting through the doors of the Ranger Base.

Huh? I looked up from my desk, and nearly fell out of my chair. "Oh my gosh! Kate!" I ran up to Kate and we hugged each other tightly. She introduced me to her Partner Pokemon, Espeon.

It's a little early to start the conference, but I figured Kate would like to have some time to catch up with everyone, so I took her upstairs to the Conference Room. I didn't realize how much I missed my best friend! I rarely hear from Kellyn and Juliette because they're always on missions, and Keith... Well... He's Keith. Speaking of Keith... When is Keith gonna get here?! I want to see his face when he see's that Kate is our guest Ranger, AND that she's staying with us for three days. This is gonna be great!

* * *

**(Kate's POV)**

Rhyth and I instantly started to catch up on each other's lives, it was just like old times. We chatted a bunch as we stepped into the elevator, and we headed up to the second floor. She took me into the Conference Room. I'm fifteen minutes early, but that's alright. I wasn't even in there for five seconds before...

"KATE!" The four Base Leaders shouted, and they ran up to me and hugged me. I was being smothered in hugs and attention, and it just made me laugh.

"Hi guys! Hi Dad! Miss me?" I laughed, hugging them all back.

"Of course! It's nice to have you back in Summerland, Katie!" Cameron put me in a head lock, ruffling my hair.

"You need to call us more often!" Dad laughed, getting Cameron to let go of me.

"Yeah, you really do." Joel smirked, being agreeable for once. "That way, I can tell you all about how your Dad still hasn't beaten my capture record for the Capture Challenge!" Joel smirked, antagonizing Spenser.

"Hey! Wait a second!" Spenser whined, pouting like a child.

"Boys, Boys! Try not to bicker like children in front of Kate!" Elita whacked them both upside the head, earning a simultaneous 'hey!' from them both. "She just got back! Don't scare her off!" Elita scolded, a little annoyed.

"Eheh... Right... Sorry Elita." Spenser and Joel sheepishly apologized.

I think it's about time that I catch up on messing with my Dad, it's been awhile. "So...Dad? Have you asked out Elita yet?" I innocently asked, batting my eyelashes.

"WHAT?!" Spenser and Elita both shouted, shooting each other nervous glances with a slight blush on their cheeks. Oh how I've missed this...

"Ahaha!" Cameron laughed, patting me on the back. "Leave it to Katie to embarrass those two." Cameron chuckled to Joel, who started snickering.

"Ahem." Joel cleared his throat, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. "Well, now that we're all caught up, shall we start the conference?" He asked, making a valid point.

"Sure thing!" I beamed at him, getting out my laptop. I walked up to the front of the room and set up the PowerPoint, flipping it to the slide with the pictures of the four Gigaremo. The Summerland Base Rangers quickly filed in, going over to lean against the wall. I clapped m hands together, pressing them to my lips. "Ok! Let's get started!" I smiled, grabbing the clicker.

"SORRY I'M LATE!" A familiar voice shouted, bursting through the doors of the Conference Room.

I looked up from my laptop and...Oh gosh. It's Keith. He just gawked at me, and I stared at him with a wide-eyed expression. Rhythimi started to snicker.

Oh great...

* * *

**(Keith's POV)**

"SORRY I'M LATE!" I shouted as I ran into the Conference Room, looks like the Almia Ranger was about to get started... Eh? Is that...? Oh no... It's Kate... PANICKING! I just sort of stared at her, and she stared right back at me. Rhythimi started to snicker. She knew about this, didn't she...? I'm so getting back at her for this later... Kate shook her head and recovered from the initial shock, proceeding with her speech. The Ranger Base Leaders just looked at us curiously and knowingly. Spenser was totally clueless, then Joel whispered something to him. His happy-go-lucky expression quickly turned into an over-protective-father look. Oh great. What did he say?! I quickly made my way over to Percy and Leilany, leaning up against the wall.

"Ahem... As I was about to say..." Kate started to say. "The criminal syndicate we are up against calls themselves 'Team Dim Sun' as you may already know. They ARE an immediate threat and are not to be taken lightly. They have invented a machine called a Gigaremo..." She continued as she pointed to the PowerPoint slide with pictures of the four types of Gigaremo's. "There are four known types; Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow. They can be destroyed by performing target clears on them..." She continued as an Espeon playfully jumped up on top of Kate's head. She looked annoyed at first and glared at her, but then she just shook off the interruption and kept going with her speech. I guess the Espeon is her Partner Pokemon.

"Woah... She's pretty..." I heard Buizel mumble in awe as he stared at the Espeon on Kate's shoulder. I tried to suppress laughter at that.

"...Red Gigaremo's are to be destroyed with the Area Move: 2 Soak; Green Gigaremo's are to be destroyed with the Area Move: 2 Burn; Blue Gigaremo's are to be destroyed with the Area Move: 2 Electrify; and the Yellow Gigaremo's target clear has not yet been identified, I'm afraid..." Kate continued, and I notice a hint of guilt on her face as she admitted that last part. The Base Leaders took notes on her presentation, and the other Summerland Rangers and I continued to listen. "A Gigaremo is a machine that is used primarily for Pokemon mind control. Any Gigaremo Unit spotted must be destroyed immediately. When activated, Pokemon within range of the Gigaremo Unit are under the complete control of Team Dim Sun..." Kate explained.

"That's terrible!" Leilainy whispered to her partner, Percy.

"I know, Leil." He comfortingly rubbed her back, successfully calming Leilany's nerves just a bit. "It's a good thing this Ranger is here to warn us about these things, that way we can help destroy these machines and protect the Pokemon." Percy said to her in a hushed tone.

He had a point. Wait, why was Kate the one directing the conference, anyways?

* * *

**~Flashback Sequence to the Previous Night~**

_"All of the Base Leaders in Fiore will be attending, and also the Ranger in Almia who discovered Team Dim Sun and their plans will be there to keep us up-to-date on what we're dealing with."_

* * *

**~Back to Present Day~**

Wait... So was Kate the one who discovered Team Dim Sun and their plans? And all the information on the Gigaremo's? Wow... Gotta hand it to her, that's pretty impressive. Plus, she's only a Rookie Ranger... I mean, sure, I am too, but... I haven't done anything THAT impressive. I've saved Summerland from a rampaging Gyarados, though. That has to count for something...right?

"Team Dim Sun set up 6 Gigaremo Units throughout Pueltown yesterday." Kate's lovely voice brought me back down to earth once again. "They were conducting an experiment to see if they could use the Gigaremo units to successfully control the minds of Pokemon to do their bidding. Sadly... They escaped in a boat and fled by sea, with the last Gigaremo. A Yellow one to be exact." Kate said in an informative/matter-of-fact tone. She seemed a little more disappointed about their escape than she should be.

She's so cute when she's trying to be serious.

"Pokemon that have been previously captured are not hypnotized by the Gigaremo's..." Kate informed us.

"Phew..." Buizel sweatdropped, he seemed relieved at this.

"However." Kate continued. "Depending on the number of Gigaremo Units in the area, those Pokemon experience massive headaches..." Her Espeon interrupted by jumping down off of her shoulders and on to the table. She then waved her paws in a circular motion around her head, rolled her eyes in circles, and pretended to faint.

"ESPEON! STOP BEING SUCH A DRAMA QUEEN!" Kate broke character as she scolded her partner, she was very red in the face.

Everyone broke the silence and started to laugh, except for Kate, of course.

"Ahem... As I was saying..." Kate cleared her throat, shooting her partner one last glare. "They recover from their headaches after the Gigaremo Units are destroyed, and thankfully, there is no permanent damage. One last thing before I dismiss everyone... All Dim Sun sightings are to be reported back to the Ranger Union immediately. Thank you, that is all." Kate closed up her laptop and dismissed everyone.

The Base Leaders went to Kate and asked her a few questions, Rhythimi went back to her desk to resume her Operator duties, Percy and Leilainy went on patrol, and I went up to Cameron for further orders.

"Leader, I'm reporting for duty." I tried not to seem nervous being to close to Kate, butting into their conversation.

Spenser, Elita, and Joel said their goodbyes to Kate and Cameron, and they went back to their bases. Not without a blubbering Spenser nearly squishing Kate to death in a vice-grip hug, and Joel and Elita having to drag him out of the Ranger Base, of course... *sweatdrop*

"Great job today, Keith!" Cameron grinned, slapping me on the back a little too hard. "You can have the rest of the night off." He nodded, making his way towards the door to the Conference Room. He turned around to say one last thing to Kate before he left. "Enjoy your vacation Kate!"

"Thanks, Cameron! I will!" Kate smiled, waving good-bye to him. Vacation? Does that mean... "Erm... Hi, Keith..." Kate shuffled nervously, swinging her laptop bag over her shoulder.

"H-Hi Kate..." I forced out the words, tugging at my shirt collar. Is it hot in here or is it just me?!

I'm such an idiot... I should be able to talk to my best friend just fine! But instead I'm stuttering like and idiot...

"So, uh... Whatcha been up to?" Kate asked, seeming a little more comfortable than earlier.

"Oh, you know. Patrolling, beating up those idiot Dim Sun Minions, calming down a rampaging Gyarados... The usual." I scoffed with a cocky smile, bragging about my amazing success and Ranger skills.

Kate giggled. "That sounds exciting! Well uh... I'm in Summerland for the next three days, so...I was thinking..." Kate trailed off, looking down at the floor. "Maybe we could spend time together and catch up!" She nervously asked, looking up at me with her big blues eyes.

I just scratched the back of my head. "Sure! I'd like that!" I beamed at her, regaining my confidence. Or at least some of it. Or none of it. Or maybe...yeah I don't even know what to think, this girl drives me crazy and has me running around in circles inside my mind...

**THUD!**

_"OWW! Babe, you don't have to be like that!"_

We both turned to see what the commotion was, and laughed at what we saw. Espeon had pushed Buizel off o the Conference Table, and was looking pretty ticked off.

"Well..." Kate sweatdropped, scratching the back of her head. "It seems like our partners are getting along!" Kate laughed, and I couldn't help but smile at her cute laugh.

"Yeah... Well, Kate. You've met my Buizel, but... Who's this Espeon here?" I asked her, looking down at the shorter pigtailed girl.

"Oh!" She slapped her forehead, mentally scolding herself for forgetting to introduce us. "This is my partner, Espeon! I met her in Vien Forest after I saved her from being captured by Dim Sun." Kate explained as Espeon jumped into her arms and nuzzled her face.

"She seems nice." I nodded my head, staring down at the Espeon. I'm not sure what it is, but something seems off about this particular Espeon...

"Yeah, she is!" Kate smiled, petting her partner's head. "She's a very playful and happy Pokemon, just DON'T get on her nerves, or she'll prank you." Kate glared down at her Espeon who just looked at her sheepishly in return.

I just laughed. "Point taken. Say, do you want to maybe take a walk through the Olive Jungle? We could go explore the Jungle Relic! I mean, it's only 4pm and we still have some time to kill..." I asked her, hoping she'd say yes. Please please please say yes...please...

"Of course!" She grinned, and I felt relieved. "I have some old friends I'd like to visit in the Jungle Relic!" Kate said cheerfully, and she and Espeon ran towards the door.

Old friends? ...In the Jungle Relic?

"RACE YAH THERE, KEITHY!" She taunted me as she made a run for it. Her and Espeon stuck their tongues out at both Buizel and I, antagonizing us.

"NO FAIR!" I laughed, taking after the two girls. "YOU GOT A HEAD START, KATIE! AND DON'T CALL ME KEITHY!" I yelled at her, cringing at the dreaded nickname courtesy of Kellyn and Juliette. I wonder how they're doing...haven't talk to them for a bit.

"THEN DON'T CALL ME KATIE, RED HEAD!" She yelled back as we made it out of the base, heading towards the Olive Jungle.

Arceus how I've missed this, and how I've missed Kate...

* * *

**(Kate's POV)**

I didn't realize how much I've really missed Keith until I saw him today. This is so exciting! We entered Olive Jungle and started to make our way over to the Jungle Relic. It was nice to see Buizel again, seems like he's got a thing for Espeon, who doesn't seem to return the feelings... Those two are so strange.

Speaking of Espeon... "Hey, Espeon?" I spoke up, capturing the attention of both Keith and Buizel.

_"Yes, Kate?"_ She asked me, stopping in her tracks.

"We can trust Keith and Buizel, you can transform back into your original form now." I told her, and she seemed a little shocked at my request.

"Huh?" Both Keith and Buizel raised an eyebrow at this, completely confused.

Espeon just shrugged. _"As you wish."_ And with that she turned back into her Mew form. Keith dropped his jaw and so did Buizel. Mew and I just busted out laughing as we high-fived each other.

"Y-your partner...is a...is a...A MEW?!" Keith started to freak out, and Buizel was just staring at Mew wide-eyed.

"Aha, yeah..." I sweatdropped, awkwardly scratching the back of my head. "She transforms herself into an Espeon to avoid suspicion... But besides us, you're the only one who knows. Can you keep a secret?" I asked Keith, batting my eyelashes at him with a pleading look.

"Yeah, of...of course..." Keith trailed off, shaking his head to snap him out of it. "I'm just a bit shocked... H-How did you get a Mew to be your partner?!" He asked me, still completely in shock.

"The story I told you of how I met her is true, except for the part where she's actually a Mew and not an Espeon." I grinned, flashing him a sheepish look. "After I rescued her, we became friends, and she offered to be my partner! We decided she should disguise herself as an Espeon to avoid suspicion." I explained while petting Mew. She was giggling and flying around my head in circles.

_"Wow... So, you're a Mew?!"_ Buizel asked Mew, nearly falling over in the process. He was marveling over her, completely entranced.

She floated down to his eye-level, rolling her eyes. _"Well duh. Are you a Buizel?"_ She sarcastically asked, putting her paws on her hips.

Buizel just glared at Mew, who giggled and turned back into her Espeon form. She laughed and made a run for it, and he chased her around the jungle as she kept teleporting behind him and pulling his tail. Keith and I were just laughing our butts off at our partners.

"So...what have you been up to?" Keith asked, playfully punching me in the arm. I nearly tripped from his strength, who he has some serious strength! "Apparently you've been fighting criminal syndicates and foiling their plans. I saw the most recent issue of the Almia Times the other day, you were on the front page!" Keith said in awe, congratulating me.

"That pretty much sums it up." I laughed, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. "And yeah, I know about the newspaper photo. This reporter keeps following me around because I seem to attract danger and action." I giggled, and I caught Keith smiling. "That's how he got a picture of me back flipping off the crate to avoid Team Dim Sun's Toxicroak's slash attack." I explained, watching Buizel chase Espeon around up ahead.

"Well it was still pretty awesome!" He threw his hands up into the air, completely enthusiastic. "Not as awesome as the article about me stopping the Gyarados rampaging, but..."

I just rolled my eyes and cut him off, slapping him on the arm. "Keith, could you stop being cocky for one second?" I laughed, shaking my head.

You know, I just noticed this, but... Keith grew like a foot taller, he's gotta be like 6'3 at least... And... When did he get muscles?! Wow... He's even cuter than before... No! Bad Kate! Don't think that! Urrgh...what is going on with me...?!

It's not ment to be, it can't be. I mean...I don't like him! And he...doesn't like...me. He can't, and never will. And even if he did, we can't...be together. Because of my secret, I can't be with him, or anyone, really. Because...what if they ever found out? What if I get married one day, and they find out? I could be rejected...if I couldn't even tell my own father my secret, what makes you think I could tell him? Or anyone, really... I just... I just can't...

I snapped out of my depressed thoughts and focused on the task at hand, going to the Jungle Relic. We explored the Jungle Relic and completed three out of the four challenges as Espeon continued to mess with and annoy Buizel. We hung out with the fourth challenge, Charizard, who I introduced to Keith. We chatted for a bit and then went back to the Summerland Base, and later that night Keith showed me to my guest room. Espeon and I unpacked our things and got settled in.

_"You like Keith, don't you?"_ Espeon asked, smirking devilishly.

"WHAT?!" I did a spit take, nearly choking to death on my drink of water. "NO I DON'T!" I screamed at her, completely furious that she'd ask that.

_"C'mon Kate... You can tell me!"_ Espeon ushered me to spill the truth, leaping onto my bed and sitting next to me.

...

I bit my lower lip, shuffling nervously. "I...I don't know..."

_"Likely story."_ Espeon sassed me, rolling her eyes and hitting my face with her long purple tail.

"It's true! I don't know!" I threw my hands up in defense, trying to get her to stop hitting me. "I mean, I MIGHT like him... But only a little bit!" I confessed, cringing at how much she made me say.

"I KNEW IT!" She shouted excitedly, jumping straight up. I fell off the bed from the abrupt action. "Kate liiiikes Keith! Kate and Keith, sitting in a tree..."

I cut her off. "Oh shut up and go kiss Buizel!" I sassed her, smirking evilly.

Well that got her to shut up. She started to blush a dark shade of red, turning into her Mew form. She teleported right in front of me, getting all up in my face with her big grey anime eyes. _"W...what!? What are you talking about!? I DON'T LIKE BUIZEL!"_ She stuttered in a defensive tone, crossing her arms and flicking me with her tail.

I smirked and raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms and leaning back. "Likely story." I sassed her, relaying her exact words to me right back at her.

...

"Well... It's not like he'd ever like me, anyways..." Mew said in a disappointed tone, turning away from me and looking out the window.

"I could say the same thing about Keith, he only sees me as a friend..." We both sighed as we plopped down on the bed.

_"Looks like we've got boy problems." _Mew groaned, covering her face with her paws

"Yep, you and me both. You and me both, Mew..." I muttered, turning over on my side and staring out the window at Summerland's ocean, watching the sun set.

* * *

**(Keith's POV)**

_"KEITHY LIKES KATE OOOOOOOHHHHHH!"_ Buizel teased me, shouting at the top of his lungs and dancing around the room.

"OH SHUT UP AND GO MAKE OUT WITH ESPEON!" I yelled back, trying to hide my red face.

_"WHAT?!"_ Buizel shrieked, falling off of the bed. _"I SO DO NOT LIKE ESPEON!"_ Buizel started to get defensive. _"THERE ARE PLENTY MORE GIRLS OUT THERE THAT ARE SOOOOOO MUCH BETTER THAN THAT OBNOXIOUS, ANNOYING, PERKY ESPEON POSER!"_

"Yeah. Sure you don't." I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. "That's why you're always hitting on her and messing with her." I smirked and raised an eyebrow as Buizel jumped up on my bed.

_"H-Hey! She's the one who messes with me! Not the other way around!"_ Buizel retorted, crossing his arms.

I shrugged, speaking my reply casually. "Yeah, but you chase her around afterwards."

...

_"Touché."_ Buizel sighed, giving in. _"Ok... So maybe I DO like her. But it doesn't matter anyways..."_ He said sadly.

"And why is that?" I asked, getting curious now.

_"She's wayyyy out of my league..."_ He sighed, being all mopey now. _"She's a Legendary Pokemon for Arceus' sake! Plus, she only thinks of me as a friend..."_ He sighed again, the most depressed I've ever seen him.

"You won't know unless you try." I pointed out, taking off my Styler and setting it down on my nightstand.

_"I could say the same for you."_ Buizel smirked, turning the tables on me now.

"S-Shut up! You know I can't tell Kate!" I stuttered, turning away from Buizel.

"Whatever you say Keith, whatever you say." Buizel said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Looks like we've got women problems, huh?" I asked him, sitting down on the bed next to my orange otter partner, petting him on the head.

_"Hah! That's an understatement!"_ He scoffed, smashing a pillow into his face over and over again.

I couldn't agree more.

* * *

**Kate's starting to catch on that she likes Keith! IT'S ABOUT TIME! And Espeon (a.k.a Mew) and Buizel like each other! How cute! Sorry this chapter took me soooooooo long... I had too many distractions going on in my life lately. 14 chapters down, 20 more to go! Ughhhhhh so much workkkkkkk. If you like this story, go check out my other books! Please leave me reviews! I literally jump over the moon each time I get one!**

**Read, review, and enjoy!**


	15. Chapter 15: One Seriously Crazy Day

**(Keith's POV)**

Kate left for Almia yesterday, I miss her already. Rhyth's been teasing me about how I so like Kate. (I didn't tell her anything, she's just guessing) Kellyn and I have the day off, so we decided to hang out, grab lunch, and catch up. We've barely seen each other since graduation since we've both been so busy with missions left and right.

"So how's Summerland, Keith?" Kellyn asked me as we sat down at a table with our lunches.

I opened my soda can and looked back up at Kellyn. "It's pretty cool, not much to do there but patrol really. Occasional Dim Sun sighting, but not much activity here in Fiore. How's Ringtown?" I asked, trying to strike up a conversation.

"Same here." Kellyn sighed, looking at me with a bored expression. "Juliette and I have been temporarily working in Fall City since they're the ones who really need the extra Rangers. Lunick and Solana can take care of Ringtown just fine." He explained, taking a bite out of his sandwich.

"I see." I nodded my head, and then I finally broke the ice and asked him a question I've been wondering about since Ranger School. "So... I've been wondering, what's the deal with you and Juliette, anyways?" I snickered, watching his face go from calm to completely panicked in zero seconds.

"Oh... Uh..." Kellyn sweatdropped, scratching the back of his head. And he frantically started fixing his hair, nervous habit. "Well, she's my Ranger Partner... And uh... Yeah." He cleared his throat, tearing his eyes away from me and staring out the window.

I just sighed and rolled my eyes, trying to make him refocus. "C'mon, Kellyn. You know what I meant."

...

"Ok fine, I give in." He threw his hands up in defense, turning back to face me. "Yeah, I like Juliette... PLEASE DON'T TELL HER KEITH!" He abruptly starting shaking me, panicking like crazy. What a moron...

"I'm not gonna!" I quickly pried his hands off of me, pushing him back into his chair. "Relax, Kellyn!" I sweatdropped at his outburst. "When are you going to tell her?" I asked, being completely serious now.

...

"I'm not..." He trailed off, looking down at the floor.

I nearly fell over at this. "What!? Why not!?"

"She doesn't think of me like that!" Kellyn slammed his head down on the table, wallowing in a pit of despair. "Plus, if she turned me down, it would be really awkward since we're partners and everything!" He wailed, being a complete blubbering idiot.

I just facepalmed at how much of a dope he was being right now. "It worked out for Lunick and Solana... And now they're the best Top Ranger couple in all of Fiore!" I layed out the facts, trying (and failing) to cheer up the depressed drama queen.

"But it only worked out for them because they were in love for like five years before they even said anything to each other!" Kellyn sat straight up, waving his arms around. "And it's not like I LOVE Juliette, I just like her... And it's only been a year..."

"You won't know until you give it a try." I sighed, turning on my Styler to check the time.

_"Says the hypocrite."_ Buizel added, rolling his eyes at me. I almost forgot he was here.

"Shut up, Buizel..." I growled, narrowing my eyes at him.

"What's he talking about?" Kellyn asked, looking back and forth between Buizel and I. Sometimes I forget Kate and I are the only ones that can understand Buizel.

"Nothing... He's just saying I'm a hypocrite because I won't tell Kate I like her either." I huffed, pushing Buizel out of my lap, earning a, _"HEY!" _from said orange otter Pokemon.

"So you DO like Kate! I knew it!" Kellyn shot straight up from his chair, smirking triumphantly.

"Oh shut up and go kiss Juliette." I rolled my eyes and leaned back in my chair, it was just like old times.

...

Kellyn went into shock from what I said, but quickly recovered and smirked. "Just for that, I'm telling Kate." He laughed, provoking me.

"NO, KELLYN! DON'T!" I quickly shot out of my chair, nearly knocking over the table in the process.

"I'm kidding! Relax, dude." Kellyn laughed, sitting back down.

I let out a relieved sigh and sat back down once again."Where is Juliette, anyways?" I asked, taking a sip of my drink.

"Oh! She said something about spending the day with Rhythimi..." Kellyn shrugged, sipping at his coffee.

Uh oh.

"Wait wait wait...hold up." I held up my hands to stop him from talking any further. "You left... Juliette... AND Rhythimi... Alone?... Unsupervised?... AND together?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow.

...

Kellyn went wide-eyed and started to freak out. "What do you think there doing...?!" He asked.

"I don't know... But... It can't be good." I sweatdropped, horrified at the possibilities.  
...

"RHYTHIMI!"

"JULIETTE!"

We both yelled as we jumped up from our table, bolted out the door, and started to run towards the Summerland Base.

Why do I have a bad feeling about this...?

* * *

**(Normal POV)**

**~Meanwhile, Back at the Base~**

Juliette and Rhythimi had called Kate on Juliette's Styler, and they were video-chatting while Kellyn and Keith went out to lunch.

"Oh c'mon, Kate! Just tell us!" Rhythimi pleaded, getting impatient now.

Juliette groaned and flopped back into her office chair. "Please, Kate! I told you that I liked Kellyn! Just admit it!" Juliette chimed in.

"And I told you I liked Isaac!" Rhythimi added, trying to persuade Kate to open up for what felt like the thousandth time.

_"But Rhyth, that's hardly fair because your crush on Isaac is way too obvious!"_ Kate laughed, rolling her eyes at her blonde and dark-haired friends.

"Kate, if you don't tell us... I'm going to come out to Almia myself, and when I get there I'll..." Rhythimi started to say, but was quickly cut off by a flustered Kate.

_"FINE! I LIKE KEITH! But only a little bit..."_ Kate sighed, giving in.

"AWW! So cute!" Juliette and Rhythimi sang, hugging each other and jumping for joy that they finally got Kate to admit it.

_"Seriously you guys...?"_ Kate sweatdropped, kind of embarrassed. She ran a hand through her bangs at their childish display.

"Yes seriously! We've been waiting for you guys to admit your feelings for each other since Ranger School!" Juliette cheered, over the moon with excitement and joy.

"Although..." Rhythimi butted in, scratching the back of her head. "Keith hasn't exactly admitted it yet, but he so likes you, Kate!" Rhythimi grinned, trying to stay positive and optimistic. Kate and Keith are her OTP. She will not fail in setting these two up. Same thing goes for Kellyn and Juliette...

_"...You think so?"_ Kate nervously asked, her voice was quiet and a little timid sounding.

"HELL YES!" Both Juliette and Rhythimi screamed as Keith and Kellyn ran into the base.

"WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING!?" Kellyn and Keith screamed, directed at Juliette and Rhythimi.

"Ohhhhh nothing!" Juliette and Rhythimi sang in a sing-song voice, trying not to laugh at the guys' timing.

_"Hi, Keith! Hi, Kellyn!"_ Kate said through Juliette's Styler, waving at the two boys frantically.

"Hey, Sis!" Kellyn waved back, happy to see Kate again.

"Hey, Katie Kat." Keith smirked and raised an eyebrow as he looked at Kate on the screen. The color drained from her face as she started to completely flip out.

_"DON'T YOU DARE START CALLING ME THAT, KEITH! WHERE DID YOU EVEN HEAR THAT?!"_ Kate questioned him, beyond furious.

Keith just laughed and shrugged, maintaining his cool. "Oh, y'know. Espeon told me." Keith snickered.

On Juliette's Styler screen, you could see Kate looking at Espeon with an intense glare. Espeon just sweatdropped.

_"Keith! You ratted me out!"_ Espeon shrieked, horrified at what her Ranger Partner was going to do to her.

_"Kate! Let's go! We've got a mission to do!"_ Barlow ordered Kate from the other room, but his voice echoed throughout the entire Vientown Ranger Base.

_"Sorry, guys! I have to go." _Kate sheepishly apologized._ "I'll call you later!"_ She promised, close to hanging up the video call.

"Bye, Kate!" Everyone but Keith shouted, waving and saying their good-byes.

"Bye, Katie Kat!" Keith laughed as he watched Kate cringe at the dreadful nickname.

_"Bye, Keithy!"_ Kate snickered as she ended the transmission.

**Click!**

All of a sudden, the room grew completely silent. Everyone stopped and looked at Keith, smirking knowingly.

...

Keith sweatdropped at all the unnerving stares he was getting. "...What?" He asked, drawing back a little bit.

"KEITH LIKES KATE!" Everyone shouted, teasing the poor red-head.

"I DO NOT!" Keith shouted back, completely red in the face and mortified.

Just a normal day at the Ranger Base...

* * *

**(Kate's POV)**

**~Back in Almia~**

"Ok, so if you use this Micro Aqualung here, you'll be able to breathe underwater." Barlow handed me a strange device, ushering me towards the boat. "Go ahead and go find that Bridge Key, Kate!" Barlow ordered.

"Yes sir, Leader!" I saluted and boarded the boat heading for Puel Sea alongside Brook.

Wait... Maybe I should back up just a bit and explain... Ok. So me, Rhyth, Kellyn, Juliette, and Keith spent some time together during my vacation. We were all catching up on everything that everyone had missed in each other's lives. Kellyn is still hopelessly in love with Juliette, and is still in denial about it. Rhythimi is head over heels for Isaac, so pretty much the norm. Keith and Kellyn are always pranking the girls together, thoroughly ticking them off. It was really fun! But sadly, I had to leave this morning to go back home to Almia, arriving about half an hour ago. Barlow met up with me and told me what I had missed while I was gone. Big Bertha apparently brought milk pudding to the Ranger Base and insisted on giving Ollie some. He felt guilty for being treated too nicely by Big Bertha and spilled all the details on how Dim Sun used him to set up the Gigaremo units in the Vien Forest, but there was an accident involving spilled Gigaremo fuel and he was responsible for the fire. Ollie was released and was free to go home since he had no idea what he was doing. Although, he wasn't too happy about leaving Elaine. Something going on between those two? Now Ollie regularly visits the Base... Or should I say, Elaine. Looks like our crazy Mechanic has a boyfriend! How cute! Professor Hastings and Elaine found a small black stone in the Gigaremo unit that the Professor was gonna bring back to the Ranger Union for analysis... But... There was a slight problem.

The bridge was still raised from the Pueltown mission last week. When Brook jumped into the water to swim after the boat, the bridge key fell out of his pocket. So Barlow and Professor Hastings spent the night at the Ranger Depot in Pueltown while they waited for me to arrive this afternoon. Barlow told me that since the Professor hates flying, we had to get the bridge key back. Barlow gave me a Micro Aqualung, a device that allows Rangers to breathe underwater (invented by the scientist Nage back at the Ranger Union) Barlow gave me the job of going to get the bridge key (Because our Leader can't swim. He thinks he's been secretive about it but he really hasn't) Feeling guilty about losing the key in the first place, Brook got his friend to take us out to Puel Sea around the spot where he lost it. Espeon had to stay on land and waited for me back with Barlow and Professor Hastings.

So now you're all caught up!

* * *

**MISSION 4: RECOVER A KEY FROM SHARPEDO!**

**SPLASH!**

I dove into the water with my Aqualung. WOW. It's so pretty down here! There's a whole coral reef down here! There are so many Pokemon swimming around... It's like an entirely separate underwater world down here!

**SHINE!**

Huh? Something shiny caught my eye. I swam down towards the ocean floor and I saw the Bridge Key! I was about to swim closer to pick it up when...

**BAM!**

**CHOMP!**

"OWW! Holy Arceus!" I screamed in pain, being thrown into a nearby rock wall.

A VERY territorial Sharpedo slammed into me, attacked by using his Crunch attack on my arm (which was now bleeding furiously) and threw me by my arm into an underwater rock wall.

Talk about ow... That's sooo gonna hurt in the morning... And Barlow's gonna kill me!

_"Be careful down there, ok? If you get hurt, you're going to have to answer to me. Are we clear?"_

*sweatdrop* so much for being careful... The Sharpedo picked up the key in its mouth and took off. Dammit! Now what?

**-Voicemail! Voicemail!-**

I jumped a little bit from the sudden Voicemail, and quickly picked it up, noticing it was Barlow calling.

_"Kate! It's Barlow! What's taking you so long?!"_ Barlow impatiently asked over the voice call on my Styler. Due to me being underwater, I can only communicate with the voice feature.

I just sweatdropped at his impatience. "Barlow! Sorry! I found the key, but..."

He quickly cut me off, sounding a little agitated. _"But what?"_

"I was attacked by a Sharpedo, and it took off with the key, and..." I started to say, barely getting one sentence out before I was interrupted again.

Barlow was quick to interrupt and freak out immensely. _"YOU WERE ATTACKED BY A SHARPEDO?! WHAT?! KATE! I TOLD YOU TO BE CAREFUL DOWN THERE!"_

I just sighed, looking over my arm. Oww...that's a serious gash. "I know... I'm sorry... It just came out of no where, and..."

Cue the interrupting courtesy of Barlow, again. _"Are you hurt?!"_

"I think I just bruised my ass pretty badly from being slammed into a rock wall..." I scoffed, being sarcastic. "But that's not what I'm really worried about. The Sharpedo attacked me using Crunch on my arm pretty hard... I've got a couple gashes and they're bleeding pretty badly..."

I heard Barlow and Espeon gasp. _"Kate! Come back to the surface RIGHT NOW! We're getting you medical attention, pronto!"_

I just groaned in frustration, seriously getting annoyed now. "I can't do that, Barlow! That Sharpedo is going to choke to death on that key! I'm not going to stand aside and let an innocent Pokemon die only for my sake! I'll see you guys when I get the key and return to the surface." I said right as I was about to end the transmission.

_"KATE, NO! DON'T YOU..."_

I cut him off by hanging up. "Ahhg... Crud, that stings..." I said to myself, looking at my arm. I winced at how deep the gashes were, and it's not like being in salt water was helping my case. I carefully slipped off my Ranger Jacket and did my best to tie it around my arm, leaving me just in my black shirt and shorts.

I saw a Mantine swimming nearby, and I called out to it for help. "Excuse me? Miss Mantine? I'm pretty badly hurt, do you think you could give me a lift across that trench over there to where that Sharpedo went? I've gotta save it before it's too late!" I pleaded the Mantine, and she came over to me.

_"Of course, hop on. Are you ok? You look badly injured."_ She asked me, glancing at my arm with a worried look.

"I'll be fine." I brushed her off, hoisting myself onto her back. "I'm more concerned about that Sharpedo." I winced from accidentally moving my arm too much, ow...

_"You know, most people would not do that...go out of your way to save the same Sharpedo that attacked you instead of saving yourself and getting your injuries looked at."_ She said as she swam across the trench in the direction the Sharpedo went.

"I know, and that's exactly why I have to. That's the job of a Pokemon Ranger, after all!" I let out a pained laugh. I'm one of those weird people who laughs instead of crying when they get hurt, I'm pretty sure I'm the only person alive who does that.

_"You're a great Pokemon Ranger indeed, and a kindhearted one at that."_ She said to me as I hopped off and thanked her for her help.

"Thank you." I smiled at her, petting her head. "You can go now, I'm going to go after that Sharpedo." I said to the Mantine, releasing her.

_"Ok, good luck!"_ She wished me luck and swam away.

I just giggled. "Thank you!" I waved good-bye with my uninjured arm and took off after the Sharpedo.

I swam into a bunch of currents, trying to catch up to the Sharpedo. Those things are fast! It took a lot of effort, and at this rate I had already lost a lot of blood and was starting to feel a little dizzy. But I had to keep going! I finally cornered the Sharpedo who began to choke on the key.

"Sharpedo, wait! Please, let me help you!" I pleaded the Sharpedo. It's not like I could capture it in my state... My right arm was bitten, my capturing arm. Guess I have to rely on talking to it.

_"Go...HACK!... Away..."_ It snarled at me while choking, glaring at me with its piercing red eyes. I noticed a scar running vertically through one of its eyes, it looked like a deep scratch from some sort of sharp man-made object, like a spear.

I just huffed, a little annoyed with this Pokemon already. "No, I'm not going to do that." I stubbornly crossed my arms. "Please, open your mouth and I'll get the key out that's lodged in your throat." I pleaded and approached the Sharpedo, starting to pet it.

The Sharpedo flinched, I could tell he contemplated attacking me again, but he knew he wasn't going to make it if he didn't listen and open up, so he did. I reached into the Sharpedo's mouth, and...HOLY ARCEUS IT WAS DISGUSTING! And I got the key out. I don't even want to know what is down there in its throat, but it felt like squishy fish guts. Ewwey ewwey eww ewwwww... I tore up my arm even more by scraping it on the Sharpedo's teeth. Ow, that hurt... When I pulled out the key my arm was covered in blood, although... Not... all of it... was...mine...

Eww! So gross! I don't even wanna know!

_"Thank you..."_ The Sharpedo coughed and tried to clear its throat, clearly confused at my kindness.

"It's no problem! That's my job! Are you ok?" I asked him as I ignored my own injuries, making sure to look him over for like the fourth time now.

Am I seriously checking a shark Pokemon for injuries...? WHAT COULD POSSIBLY INJURE A SHARPEDO BESIDES A BRIDGE KEY?! Ok, maybe I've lost it just a bit.

_"Yes., yes I am..." _The Sharpedo shot me a weird look, studying me with utmost curiosity._ "I've never met a human as nice as you are. What is your name?"_ He curiously asked me.

I just giggled, and it wasn't necessarily because I was in excruciating pain. "Well, there's a first time for everything! My name is Kate, and I'm a Pokemon Ranger. It's my job to help Pokemon like you!" But my enthusiasm was very short lived. I was starting to feel dizzy. "Oh... I don't feel so good..." I stumbled into the Sharpedo, who's facial expression turned to a concerned one. He swam under me, scooping me up on his back, and swam me up quickly back to my boat on the surface where Brook was waiting. I climbed up onto the boat and turned around to face Sharpedo.

"Thanks!" I smiled, leaning up against the railing for support.

_"You're welcome, Kate. Take care."_ He nodded and dove back into the ocean.

Brook exited the Captain's Cabin and made his way over to me, a little more excited than I expected. "Hey! You found the key...oh my gosh, what happened to you?!" Brook started to freak out, looking at all the bleeding gashes on me.

I handed him his key and I looked kinda sheepish. "It's a long story." I said before stumbling again. Brook caught me and propped me up against the side of the boat, and he watched over me the entire trip back to Pueltown.

He helped me off of the boat and handed me over to Barlow, and that's when I knew I was in a world of trouble...eheh... Boy was everyone absolutely furious!

_"Kate! Look at you! You're hurt!"_ Espeon nuzzled me, mad at me for being an idiot, yet completely worried and relieved at the same time.

"Oh my..." Professor Hastings quickly slapped his forehead at the sight of me, astonished by the damage I had taken.

Well, I could heal myself now, but... Nah. Too many witnesses...oh god Barlow is about to kill me. I just sweatdropped and turned to face my red-faced Leader, bracing myself for the worse scolding I could possibly receive.

"KATE!" Steam was practically shooting from his ears, and he just started the lecture! I'm so screwed... "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!" He clearly thought that I was an idiot for my actions, but of course...I had my own opinions on the situation. I thought I was doing the right thing! Scratch that, I STILL think I did the right thing, no matter the damage I took in the process. And besides, who really cares about me, anyways? Well, besides that old friend of mine... But I haven't seen Luc...I probably shouldn't say anything more and tune back into Barlow's scream-fest. "YOU WERE HURT SEVERELY AND YOU COULD HAVE DIED AND..." Barlow started to rant on and on, but thankfully Hastings cut him off.

"I know Kate was badly hurt, Barlow, but she was just doing her job. You and me both know that she did the right thing in the long run." Hastings said, placing a hand on Barlow's shoulder in attempt to calm him down.

"I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you, Barlow..." I looked down at the floor in shame, summoning the courage to stand up for myself. "But... I wasn't about to let a Pokemon die on my behalf!" I tried to explain myself, putting as much passion into it as I could.

Barlow just blinked and drew back a little, shocked by my outburst. "I...I... I know... I just don't like seeing my Rangers hurt..." Barlow mumbled in a sad tone, rubbing the back of his neck and looking down at the floor.

"I know." I gave him a sympathetic smile. "But sometimes...it just can't be helped." I stepped up to Barlow, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Sometimes us Rangers have to take risks and take a little damage to save Pokemon and keep everyone safe, and I was prepared for that the moment I took my Ranger Pledge. I made a promise to protect the Pokemon and people of this world no matter what, and when I make a promise, I never break it."

Barlow just let out an amused sigh, looking down on me. "Since when did you grow up...?" He mumbled, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Hey, Espeon?" I spun around on my heel, turning around to face my beloved Partner Pokemon. "Do you think you can do me a favor and try to heal me up a bit?" I asked her, hoping that she would say yes.

_"My powers are limited... but, I'll do what I can."_ She nodded and had me sit down on a bench, and she quickly got to work. She took a first aid kit from Barlow and started to clean my gashes. Benefits of a Psychic-type Partner Pokemon! And of course, she can slip in a few drops of healing powers when Barlow and Hastings aren't looking. (Courtesy of being a Mew in disguise)

_"I'm afraid your injuries are too severe, and they'll have to heal naturally... But I can at least treat your wounds..."_ She sighed, disappointed with herself. I could tell that Espeon was clearly beating herself up about it on the inside. Aww, sweetie...

"That's ok." I smiled at her, scratching behind her purple cat-ears. "Thank you, Espeon." I said with a smile, and I caught a slight grin tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Professor Hastings handed me a water bottle. I began to hydrate up as Espeon wrapped up the gash on my leg in gauze. She then attended to the several gashes on my right arm. Why did it have to be my capturing arm!? She gave up wrapping the gashes individually and just wrapped my entire right arm in gauze and medical tape. Oh great...this is going to feel like ripping off a gigantic band-aid later. Urrgh...I can already imagine the pain. After I was all patched up, Brook helped me up from the bench and held me up, since one of my legs was wounded. All of us made our way over to the Norward Bridge.

When we arrived, Brook had to stop helping me walk and lower the bridge, so Barlow took over propping me up. He obnoxiously ruffled my hair, messing up my pigtails, so I just gave up and let my hair down. "Kate... You're really starting to impress me. I'm promoting you to Ranger Rank 3." Barlow said, walking me closer to where Hastings and Brook were.

"Really?! Awesome!" I cheered, but then quickly winced from the pain. "...maybe I'll celebrate later." I sweatdropped, watching Brook ever so expertly lower the bridge.

The three of us began to cross the bridge, and I noticed some guy running up to us. He was wearing a white shirt with sea foam green pants and a matching jacket, almost like a male Operators Uniform. He had brown eyes and shaggy brown eyes, and was an average height of 5'6. Now why does he look familiar to me...?

"Professor Hastings!" He waved frantically, stopping right in front of us. He was panting a little from the run across the bridge, and seemed relieved at the sight of the Professor in good health. "Boy, I'm glad to see you safe and sound. It's so unlike your impatient self to sleep over somewhere else. You sure had me worried." The guy sweatdropped, running a hand through his hair.

Hmm... He looks... Familiar...? But where have I seen him before...?

Professor Hastings just scoffed, brushing him off. "Ah, Murph! Who are you calling impatient? We must return to the Union and conduct a meeting to counter the Gigaremo! Barlow, we must hurry!" Hastings ushered Barlow the rest of the way across the bridge, leaving the two of us in the dust. He didn't even waste a single second more, for time was of the essence.

Murph? Wait a sec...

"...Uh... And who am I...?" Murph sighed to himself as they pushed past him and ran to the Union HQ, completely ignoring him.

"MURPH?! IS THAT YOU?!" I ran up to him and tackled him in a death hug, letting joy and excitement wash over me.

"Huh?" Murph raised an eyebrow, then came to a realization. "Wait a minute... Katie? Oh my! Katie! Look at you! You're all grown up!" He marveled over how much I had grown, looking me up and down. "I almost didn't recognize you without your pigtails!"

I just sweatdropped. "Well I still wear them, but Barlow ruffled my hair to death and I just took them out for the moment."

Now I remember who Murph is. He used to be one of my Dad's Rangers, but he left when I was 8 for a job at the Ranger Union. He wasn't exactly... Well... the most SKILLED Ranger, I guess you could say. He had a big heart and good intentions, but he just wasn't really cut out to be a Pokemon Ranger. My Dad, Spenser, would send Murph on missions usually like changing out the lightbulbs in the Base, or babysitting me. He didn't seem to mind, though. He seemed honored to do it and he enjoyed playing with me. What a nice guy... It's rare to meet a person like that.

"Oh Arceus, Katie! How have you been?" Murph flashed me a bright smile, then noticed all of the blood soaked bandages all over me. "Wait... You're hurt! What happened?!" He frantically asked, looking me up and down.

I couldn't help but giggle, and I just rolled my eyes. "I'm ok, Murph! Really! I just encountered a Sharpedo... That's all!" I brushed him off, then took a better look at him. "Look at you! You've lost weight! I notice at least a sixty pound difference!" I was ecstatic, very happy for him.

"You sure...? Well... Ok then..." Murph sighed. "But yeah, I did! But it was only about fifty two pounds... You're the first to notice!" He smiled and struck a comical pose, making me laugh. "Hey, uh... Is that your partner or something?" He asked, pointing to Espeon. She was too preoccupied frolicking around the bridge to notice us talking about her. What a playful goofball...

"Yeah! This is my partner, Espeon!" I grinned, then sweatdropped as I watched Espeon the ever-so-playful-Mew-in-disguise completely crash into the bridge railing. "What about your partner, Slowpoke? How's he doing?" I asked, curiously.

"Oh, he's in his Pokeball." Murph smiled, pulling a red and white Pokeball out of his jacket pocket. He smiled at it and shined it like an apple. "And he's a Slowbro, now, actually!" Murph radiated enthusiasm, and that smile of his was contagious.

"Wow! Really? That's great!" I smiled, congratulating him.

Murph just smiled. "Hey, I know a place where we can goof off...I mean...rest up a bit and relax before we go to the Union. You look bushed." Murph sweatdropped, looking me over once again.

I just sweatdropped, knowing he was right about me being exhausted. "Sure thing, I'd love to!" I replied with a smile as we marched arm in arm across the bridge and over to Altru Park. But then I saw someone I recognized in the park.

I just dropped my jaw in shock. "ISAAC?!" I let go of Murph, ran up to Isaac, and practically tackled him into a hug.

He seemed pretty startled at first, I felt him tense up like crazy. He quickly relaxed when he saw it was me. "Huh? Kate?! Is that you?" He asked, happy to see me.

"Yep! How've you been?! I haven't seen you since graduation!" I asked as I broke away from the hug and looked up at him. Why are all of my guy friends so much taller than me...? So not fair!

"Great! I've been great..." Isaac smiled, slowly trailing off. "Uh, Kate? H-How's Rhythimi...? Assuming that you guys stayed in contact, I was just wondering..." The poor boy looked like he was about to faint from nervousness.

I just laughed and slapped my hand over his mouth, cutting him off. "She's doing great, Isaac. Although...she wishes you'd call her. She's practically DESPERATE for your attention." I smirked and put my hands on my hips. Isaac's shocked face was priceless and the darkest shade of red I've ever seen.

Rhyth was SO going to kill me for that comment later... But... It's totally worth it! And besides, I'm going to make it so much worse. I wrote down her number on a piece of paper and discreetly slipped it into Isaac's pocket.

"Oh, umm... Really...?" He asked. He seemed to be embarrassed, but happy. He shook his head, snapping out of it. He quickly changed the subject, figures. "Hey, listen." Isaac smiled, catching my attention. "My workplace is close by. Why don't you come with me and I'll give you a tour? Your Ranger Union friend can come, too." Isaac offered.

"Sure! C'mon, Murph!" I grabbed Murph and we followed Isaac to Altru Inc. It's that giant purple tower outside Pueltown that's currently under construction. We walked up the stairs and entered the Altru building.

"You work for Altru?!" Murph asked in awe, looking around the gigantic office building of white walls and beige floors.

"Yes, I'm the lead research scientist." Isaac replied, sort of distant. I could clearly tell his mind was elsewhere as his eyes scanned the room for something.

"Figures that the boy genius would land such a great job." I teased Isaac with a smirk, ruffling his mushroom hair. "Isn't that right, smartie?"

He just rolled his eyes and brushed it off. "This is where I work. Altru Inc." Isaac began the tour of the ground floor. "The ground floor is always open so people can see the exhibits." He continued. He walked us over to the back wall in front of three portraits. "On this wall are the portraits of Altru's presidents over the years. They're all amazing people. At the left is our founder and first president, Doyle M. Hall. In the middle is our second president, Brighton Hall. And, at the right is our current president, Blake Hall." Isaac said, pointing at the portraits.

**WHOOSH!**

The doors to Altru opened and Blake Hall and his creepy assistant, Wheeler, walked in. The employees immediately crowded around him.

"President Hall! Welcome back, sir!" The receptionist lady smiled, doing a quick bow.

"Ah, thank you, my people." Blake Hall smiled, ushering everyone to calm down and back up a little. "I'll ask that you take care not to overwork yourselves. May we all do our best toward a bright future for the Almia Region." Blake Hall gave his mini speech, ending it with a head nod.

"That will do. Staff, back to your workplaces. We mustn't inconvenience our customers." Wheeler shooed everyone away, and all of the employees went back to their positions.

Isaac was quick to speak up. "That person is our current president, Blake Hall. You're really lucky to meet him in person. What a coincidence." Isaac said to Murph and I.

Blake Hall heard Isaac's comment and walked over to us, looking at me in particular. Creepy! Something about him... I don't know... It just instantly makes me not trust this guy. Espeon started to growl at him as he approached us.

"Espeon, down girl!" I ordered in a hushed tone, trying to muffle the psychic cat's growls.

"Ah, hello, Professor Isaac. I take it your research is going well?" Blake Hall struck up a conversation, but it really just sounded like he was checking in. He then shifted his gaze over to me, and I could've sworn that I saw his eyes darken for a brief moment. "Oh? Who is our Ranger guest?" Blake Hall asked Isaac, walking up to me.

Super creepy!

"This is my friend, Kate." Isaac smiled, patting me on the shoulder. "She's an old classmate from the Ranger School. We graduated together. We just happened to run into each other, so I'm giving her a tour." Isaac explained, and I was a little uncomfortable with all of the stares I was getting. Normally, I'd be perfectly fine with all of the attention, but not this kind of attention...

"Ah, a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Kate." Blake Hall gave a slight bow, and I held my high. "I've always admired Rangers for the work they do. You're to be commended. May we all do our best toward a bright future for the Almia region." Blake Hall said to me, cracking a slight grin.

Something tells me that everything Blake just said to me was total bullshit.

"Now, Professor Isaac... Shall we return to work?" Blake asked Isaac, but it was more of a command than a question.

I really don't like this guy. I'm just getting a bad vibe, and he's really creeping me out...

"Yes, sir, President Hall!..." Isaac nodded, then turned to me as Blake Hall pushed the button for the elevator. "Kate, see you again." He smiled as the elevator doors opened, and they both stepped inside.

"I'll tell Rhythimi you send your love!" I jokingly shouted to Isaac, who just looked at me as all the color drained from his face. I couldn't help but laugh. "Yo, boy genius! I'm just teasing! Relax, I put her number in your pocket, so make sure to call her!" I quickly added.

"Eheh... Right. You were kidding..." Isaac sweatdropped, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. "Bye, Kate!" He shook off his embarrassment and quickly waved good-bye as the elevator doors closed.

It's just way too easy to mess with Isaac. Back in Ranger School, Keith and I would always tease him and Rhythimi about each other, just to see their reactions. Which reminds me... I should call them tonight to tell them about this! Of course, Rhythimi will probably kill me, so maaaaaybe I should tell Keith first...

"Wohoho!" Murph slapped his forehead, completely ecstatic about what we just got to see. "We really got lucky there, we met the Altru President! We can brag about this at the Union, yes, yes, yes!" Murph cheered, very enthusiastic.

Yeah... Really lucky to have met him alright... As we exited Altru, I received a Voicemail from Barlow.

**-Voicemail! Voicemail!-**

_"Barlow here."_ Barlow greeted me, and I saw his face pop up on my Styler screen._ "The counter-Gigaremo meeting's started. We need your help. Bring a Pokemon that can do a target clear on a red Gigaremo. Get PR officer Murph to show you to the Union HQ."_ Barlow ordered, his voice was stern and strict.

"Yes sir!"I saluted over the video call and hung up.

"Let's go, Kate!" Murph said as we ran the rest of the way back to the Union. I captured a Bibarel along the way, as requested. We ran through Union Road and started to make our way up the steps to the Ranger Union. Murph led me inside as he began his tour of the Ranger Union. "This is my workplace. The Ranger Union's Almia HQ. I'm in my professional work mode now. You have a meeting to attend. The Conference Room is on the second floor." Murph said as we took the escalator on the left side of the building up to the second floor. Professional Work Mode? Whatever you say, Murph... "I'll leave you to your conference." Murph smiled as he left me and went to what looked like the Break-Room.

Someone in a lab coat and glasses was waiting for me at the top of the escalator. "Hi, are you Kate, per-chance?" The Scientist asked me.

That's me!" I smiled, walking up to him with Espeon and Bibarel by my side. "Are you perhaps Nage? The scientist who invented the Micro Aqualung?" I asked.

"Why, yes I am! Glad to know my work has been recognized! Here, follow me to the Conference Room, we've been expecting you." Nage said as he took me through a door on the left side of the second floor.

I entered the Conference Room only to be immediately greeted by Barlow. "Hey! There you are!" Barlow ruffled my hair, then turned back around to face an elderly woman in pigtails. He then began to speak to her. "This is our prize rookie, Kate, that I was telling you about, Chairperson Erma. This up-and-coming Ranger figured out how Gigaremo units can be stopped, not to mention that she was the one who found the first Gigaremo." Barlow commended me, then turned around to face me again. "Give us a demonstration, Kate." He then flashed me a sheepish look. "Sorry for springing this on you. Show us how to stop that Gigaremo." Barlow pointed to a red Gigaremo in the middle of the floor.

"It's no problem, Leader!" I saluted and approached the Gigaremo. Everyone was watching my every move curiously, especially Chairperson Erma. "Bibarel, would you please use Water Gun to take out that Gigaremo?" I asked the Pokemon politely as I pointed to the machine. The Bibarel nodded. He stepped up to the machine and destroyed it with his Water Gun.

**BOOM!**

"Thank you! You're free to go!" I thanked the Pokemon as I released it. Three Area Rangers stepped up and slid what was left of the Gigaremo off to the side with great trouble. Those things are really heavy after all.

Professor Hastings spoke up. "Gigaremo units can be ruined using the method you've just witnessed. But also keep in mind that there are other types that run on different power. The various types are distinguished by their coloring. Even so, with the help of Pokemon, all Gigaremo units can be destroyed. Get the word out to all Rangers on how Gigaremo can be stopped. Kate, you deserve much thanks. You've done excellent work." Professor Hastings thanked me, giving me a slight head nod as a sign of respect.

"Professor... Why did the Gigaremo Unit fail to hypnotize the Pokemon in the building?" I curiously asked, hoping that I didn't just speak out of turn. That would be awkward.

"Excellent question, Kate!" He beamed at me, more than pleased with my observation. Phew...that was nerve-wrecking. "Everyone, look down onto the Underfoot Monitor, if you will." Hastings said as a bunch of holographic diagrams of the Gigaremo machine appeared on the floor. Whoa...that's...that's...that's AMAZING! "Have a look at the diamond-shaped section in the middle of the Gigaremo diagram. There was a small, black stone fitted into this section. I removed the stone when I rebuilt this Gigaremo. As you've seen, without the stone, the Gigaremo failed to hypnotize the Pokemon. It seems clear to me that the stone embodies some mysterious power." Hastings explained as the diagrams disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"We're going to have to search for and destroy these Gigaremo Units one at a time. There's no other way of dealing with them, I'm afraid." Barlow sighed, more than a little disappointed with the reality of this situation. "You can be sure we Area Rangers will be eager to stamp them out." Barlow said to Hastings, saluting him.

"The Union is already working hard on the analysis of the black stone. We've also launched an investigation into Team Dim Sun." A greenette Ranger girl spoke up, stepping into the circle of Rangers and Scientists. "Hopefully, we'll gets some intel soon to help with this fight against Team Dim Sun, and try to figure out who these people are. We need to know what we're going up against."

"Excellent point, Wendy." Hastings nodded to the greenette Ranger.

"Excuse me, rookie Ranger? Could I ask you a few questions?" The greenette Ranger asked me, not hesitating to approach me.

"Of course!" I smiled, ready to be helpful in any way that I could. "My name is Kate, by the way." I introduced myself to her.

"Ok, Kate! I'm Wendy!" Wendy shook my hand, smiling brightly at me. "Ok, so for my first question, Team Dim Sun said they were conducting an experiment, correct?" She asked me, pulling out a pen and paper.

"That's correct, they said they were setting up Gigaremo Units around Pueltown to see if they could successfully hypnotize Pokemon using this method." I cheerfully responded, ecstatic that I was being useful to a TOP RANGER! How do I know she's a Top Ranger? HAH! That Fine Styler she's wearing is unmistakable.

"Alright, next question." Wendy mumbled, jotting down notes. "They fled with a Yellow Gigaremo?" She asked me.

I sighed. "Yes... Sadly, they escaped with the last Gigaremo, and correct, it was a yellow one." I explained, getting upset over the failed mission all over again, despite everyone's previous attempts to cheer me up about it.

"Ok!" Wendy nodded her head, writing my answer down again. "Last question, you said they took off in a boat by sea?" Wendy asked me.

"Yes." I nodded my head, then thought of something. "From the looks of it, they seemed to be heading in the direction of Boyleland. I hope that helps!" I flashed her a cheeky grin, scratching the back of my head.

"Alright, everyone's dismissed." Chairperson Erma announced, clapping her hands together.

"Oh it does! Thank you! I'll see you around, kiddo!" Wendy smiled and waved good-bye to me, exiting the Conference Room.

And with that, everyone filed out, except for Barlow and I.

"It's been a long day, you're probably exhausted." Barlow said, and he bent over to pet Espeon-the-attention-hog. "It's late, I'll get the Union to put us up for the night. Grab a sleep chamber and sleep well. I'm going to do the same. Enjoy a good sleep, we'll meet on the ground floor in the morning!" Barlow said as we left the Conference Room.

"Yes sir!" I saluted, and Espeon took off in the direction of the guest rooms to turn in for the night. It had gotten so late so fast...

_"You should call Rhythimi and Keith to tell them about your day."_ Espeon suggested as i opened the door, and she didn't waste a single second to make herself comfortable on my bed.

"That's a good idea!" I petted her head, laughing at her purring.

I went into the bathroom, took a shower, and replaced my bandages after I got dressed into my pajamas. I came out and sat on the bed with Espeon in my lap. I picked up my Styler and dialed both Keith and Rhythimi's numbers for a three-way Video-call.

_"HI KATE!"_ They both greeted me as they picked up.

"Hey guys! Espeon says hi, too!" I smiled, happy to see their friendly faces. I spilled the details about everything that happened today. Arriving safely in Pueltown, the Sharpedo incident, the Altru tour, and the Union conference. They both freaked out when they saw my injuries, especially Keith. Why was he so worried? I literally spent the next half an hour listening to a very loud lecture courtesy of the red-head. I'm pretty sure I just sustained some major hearing damage from that...ow.

"Oh yeah, Rhyth!" I spoke up, suddenly remembering something important. "One more thing!" I said before I was going to hang up.

_"Yeah, Kate?"_ She perked up, waiting for my reply. Keith was intrigued to see what I had left to say.

"When I saw Isaac today, I just HAPPENED to mention that you've been DESPERATELY wanting him to call you, and I slipped him your number." I winked at her with a devious smirk.

_"YOU DIDN'T!"_ Rhythimi was completely mortified and horrified, and the color immediately drained from her face.

_"AHAHAHAHAHAHA!" _Keith busted out laughing, completely falling out of his desk chair._ "Oh that's a good one, Kate!"_ Keith laughed as he fell over. Again.

_"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU, KATE!"_ Rhythimi wailed, slapping her hands on the sides of her face._ "UGH! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, I SWEAR..."_ But her ranting was interrupted by her cell phone ringing.

**RING! RING! RING!**

_"That's Isaac calling, isn't it?"_ Keith smirked and crossed his arms, completely amused with this whole situation.

Rhythimi looked at the caller ID and gulped. She then nervously pressed her top lip against her bottom one. _"Uh... Guys? I gotta take this..."_ Rhyth frantically hung up, completely embarrassed.

_"Oh Kate, that was great, I wish I was there to see the look on Isaac's face!"_ Keith laughed, amused with my evilness.

_"Oh you should've seen his face when I teased him saying I'd tell Rhyth he sends his love!"_ I laughed, and this time I was the one who fell over.

_"You didn't!"_ Keith laughed even harder, probably imagining what Isaac's face looked like at that comment.

"Alright, Keith. I should rest up for the long walk home to the Ranger Base tomorrow." I sighed, upset that I had to go. "I'll call again sometime soon, ok?" I smiled, hiding how depressed this good-bye was making me feel.

_"Alright, goodnight, Kate." _Keith sighed, but flashed me his famous grin, which made me giggle.

"Goodnight Keith." I then hung up, set my Styler on my nightstand, and layed down in the bed.

_"You so like Keith."_ Espeon teased, pushing my side with her paw.

"Oh shut up." I groaned, pulling a pillow over my face.

Tell me something I don't know...

_"Heard that."_

What the...CURSE YOUR MIND READING POWERS!

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**So we've recovered the Bridge Key and had the Ranger Union conference... you guys know what comes next! Hope you enjoyed the extra long chapter! Maybe this makes up for my lack of updates just a little bit...?**

**Read, review, and enjoy the story! Thanks for all the reviews :) keep it up!**


	16. Chapter 16: Rampaging Rampardos

**Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. Anyways, I thought I'd do a quick author note to respond to your reviews!**

**Review Responses:**

**Midnight168 - **Thank you so much, you have no idea how touched I am at your amazing writer comment, I really don't get those very often. I'm glad you like my story :) please continue!

**Pikelia - **Thanks, I will continue this! I try my best to make my chapters interesting enough to capture your attention and keep you reading, so it's good to know that it's working!

**A star in the sky 828 - **Thanks! Well now you don't have to wait anymore!

**Pokemon Ranger Nyla - **Well here's the update! I hope you enjoy it!

**PokemonRangerFan - **Thank you! I try my best :D

**May845 - **Thank you! I appreciate your feedback :)

**Well, there you have it! Thank you all for being so patient waiting for my updates, I know I haven't been really good about updating this. It just takes soooooo long to rewrite each chapter and I have limited free time. Well anyways, I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

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**(Kate's POV)**

"Morning, Kate." Barlow waved to me, and I stepped off of the escalator. "We're going back to Vientown." He began leading me out of the Ranger Union's doors.

I walked outside and started to head down the stairs. I made my way towards Union Road and right as I was about to make my way down another flight of stairs, there was a large tremor.

**RUUUMMMBLEEE!**

"Huh? What was that? An earthquake?" Barlow asked, looking around with a paranoid look.

"No... It couldn't have been, it was too short to be an earthquake." I pointed out, raising an eyebrow and pressing my index finger to my lips.

"You're right, let's keep going." Barlow ordered, shaking off his feeling of suspicion.

We continued walking down Union Road, and as we were about to walk past a cabin, there was another one.

**RRRRUUUUUMMMMMBBBLEEE!**

"That tremor was bigger than the one earlier, wasn't it?" Barlow asked me, scanning the perimeter once again.

"Yeah... Yeah it was..." I mumbled to myself as a woman came out of the cabin we were standing in front of. She seemed pretty shaken up. "Are you ok, Miss?" I asked as I approached her.

"Yes, I'm quite alright." She waved me off, stepping down off of her porch. "I saw a man with some big Pokemon earlier. He said it was for mountain-climbing training and went to the Peril Cliffs behind our home. But after they left, there have been these tremors. Are they safe, I wonder?" She asked me, looking around.

"We get the picture." Barlow nodded, glancing at the cliffs a ways behind the log cabin. "We'll go investigate." Barlow started to say, then turned to me. "Hey Kate... Do you hear that? I thought I heard something awful... Or was that just the wind?" Barlow asked me.

"No... No, I heard it too..." I ran a hand through my hair, glancing around at the perimeter. "We better investigate the Peril Cliffs thoroughly." I suggested, looking down at Espeon next to me.

"Yeah, I declare this an official mission! Let's go!" Barlow ordered as we took off behind the cabin and ran towards Peril Cliffs.

* * *

**MISSION 5: SEEK THE ORIGIN OF THE QUAKE!**

When we arrived at Peril Cliffs, Barlow and I made our way towards a rock wall and started to climb up the vines. We got up and walked up to another wall and climbed up that one also, and we stopped at the top.

"Are there any vines that we may be able to climb?" Barlow asked as he looked around. "Oh wait! Look! Up there!" He pointed to a vine that was growing sideways at the top of the wall. "We can't reach that vine up there... But what would happen if that vine were to be cut?" He asked.

Hmm...I wonder. "Espeon, use Psycho Cut on the vine!" I commanded, pointing to her designated target.

_"Sure thing, Kate."_ Espeon nodded and she did as asked. The vine dropped down to where Barlow and I could now reach it.

"Good thinking, Kate!" He patted me on the back, which only resulted in me stumbling forward. Barlow seriously doesn't know his own strength... "Let's keep going!" Barlow suggested, and we began to climb up the vine.

When we arrived at the top of this ledge, Barlow gasped at the sight of a large leaf on the floor. "I don't know who named it, but this is Springy Grass!" Barlow pointed to the leaf on the ground. "Springy as in springs. You know, the bouncy kind." Barlow continued. You don't say? What other kind of springs are there...? "When I was a kid, these plants kept me amused all day long." Barlow grinned, and he ran and jumped on top of the plant. It catapulted Barlow all the way over to the other side of the cliff.

"C'mon, Kate! Your turn!" He called out to me from the other side.

I just looked down at the Springy Grass, then back up at Barlow. There's no way I'm jumping on that thing. "You've gotta be kidding...MEEEEEEEE!" I screamed the last part as Espeon pushed me on to the Springy Grass and it catapulted me over to where Barlow was. Espeon then just teleported herself over to me.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHA! Kate..." Barlow doubled over laughing at my completely terrified facial expression.

"N-Never again..." My eyes resembled those of a Spinda, and I shuddered. "I hate you guys..." I shivered a little.

_"Oh c'mon, Kate!" _Espeon playfully whacked me with her tail, I was not amused._ "That was funny!" _Espeon laughed, still proud of herself just a bit.

"That was pretty hilarious..." Barlow trailed off, then quickly refocused himself on the task at hand. "But c'mon, let's keep going." Barlow started to move forward, ushering me to follow close behind.

"I'm still mad at you." I hissed at Espeon as I began to follow Barlow. Stupid pink cat...who knew Legendaries could be so obnoxious? I'll strangle her later...

_"No you're not! You love me too much to be mad at me!"_ Espeon sang, teasing me.

I just brushed off her comment and rolled my eyes, and I kept going. As we walked across to the other side of the cliff, there was another tremor...

**RUUUMMBLEEEE!**

"Barlow! Look down there!" I pointed to two Rampardos ramming the side of the cliff. They looked confused and in pain. I saw a suspicious looking guy down there with a weird looking laptop of some sort, typing a bunch of stuff.

"What are they doing down there?" Barlow asked, scratching the back of his head.

**RUMMMMBLEEE!**

I quickly clutched onto a nearby wall to keep my balance, the tremors were getting stronger. And fast.

"Were the tremors caused by those Pokemon ramming the wall?" Barlow wondered out loud, glancing back down over the edge. "We'd better get down there, but we can't get there from here..." Barlow started to say.

"Looks like we're going to have to go up and over, then lower ourselves down. I think that's what that guy down there did, too." I suggested, peering down at the guy with his two Rampardos.

"Good idea! Let's go!" Barlow ordered, and we began to climb higher and higher.

I had Espeon continue to cut down vines for us when necessary. I found a couple of Mawile and captured them, figuring they'd come in handy at some point. It couldn't hurt to have some extra Pokemon on hand for Poke Assists, anyways. We stopped climbing up and started to make our way over to the right side of Peril Cliffs, dodging feisty Gligar the entire way. They kept charging at me! I hate it when Pokemon do that... Seriously, it's getting pretty dang annoying!

We lowered ourselves down a bit and walked on top of another cliff. We were making our way towards the right side of Peril Cliffs when I heard a familiar, aggravating and obnoxious pulsing noise. My hands quickly flew up to my ears and I cringed, trying to fight off this migraine I was getting. Ow ow ow... Seriously, what the heck is that noise?!

_"Oh, there's that headache again..."_ Espeon scrunched up her face, I could tell she was clearly in pain and was very dizzy. I had to pick her up and carry her so she wouldn't accidentally walk off of a cliff. Literally. Hah, get it? Since we're actually on a cliff...yeah I'll shut up now. Eheh, back to the story!

"Barlow, look!" I stopped in my tracks, shaking his shoulder to grab the Base Leader's attention. "The yellow Gigaremo!" I pointed to two yellow Gigaremo's that were set up on this side of the Peril Cliffs, excitement filling my voice.

"I'll get the one down here, and you get the one over there." Barlow ordered, pointing his finger at the Gigaremo he wanted me to destroy. It was across the cliff a ways from us, it looked like I could climb across on some vines growing up the wall. I scanned the Gigaremo from a distance, Area Move 2 Crush, eh? Alright... I can work with that.

"Here, take one of my Mawile." I said to Barlow, handing him one of the Pokemon I captured earlier for Poke Assists. "It takes 2 Crush to destroy these ones." I explained, looking over at the yellow Gigaremo.

"Alright, thanks! Let's meet up at the bottom when we're done." He instructed as he started to scale to wall down towards the Gigaremo. I made my way over to the one I was going to take out. It took me about five minutes to climb over there, and I almost fell a few times. I jumped down from the wall and made a soft landing, then walked over to the Gigaremo.

Now, time to destroy this thing! "Mawile, use Crunch on the Gigaremo please!" I asked, pointing at the wretched machine. She followed orders and destroyed the Gigaremo without hesitation, wearing a confident smirk as she did so. "Thanks! You're free to go!" I thanked the Mawile, and it took off.

**BOOM!**

Sounds like Barlow's done.

I ran over to the edge of the cliff, looking down over the edge. "DID YOU GET IT, BARLOW?!" I shouted down to him, and I was amused by the echo following it.

"YEAH! COME ON DOWN!" He shouted back and waved to me.

I climbed down some vines and went over to where Barlow was. We exchanged a quick high-five before proceeding onwards.

_"My headache is gone now, Kate."_ Espeon rubbed up against my leg, letting out a soft purr.

"I'm glad to hear that!" I beamed at her, petting the little purple cat Pokemon.

Barlow and I went to the left and lowered ourselves down some more vines. We hid behind the cliff as we watched the suspicious looking guy to see what he was doing. Surveillance is soooooo boring. And also...what did he expect to achieve by ramming the cliff wall...? I honestly have no idea.

"Let's go, Barlow." I grabbed him and dragged us out into the open to confront this shady idiot.

"Kate, wait..." Barlow tried to stop me, but my impatience dominated his order.

"Hey, you there!" I shouted, startling the guy. "What do you think you're doing?!" I yelled at the suspicious guy (who I suspected to be a Dim Sun Minion) He just dropped his jaw at the sight of us, so surprised to see us Rangers that he was at a complete loss for words. What a Baka... I just groaned and slapped my forehead, speaking up again in attempt to get him to say something. "Why are those Rampardos ramming the cliff wall?" I asked him, still no reply. "What's going on here?" I continued as Espeon started to growl at the suspicious guy's computer.

"Wh-what are you people?" The suspicious guy gaped at us, and both Barlow and I just facepalmed at this. "You're dressed up like Rangers and all... Are you Rangers?!" The suspiciously shady guy started to panic, nervously sweating and flailing his arms about.

Wow, this guy really is an idiot... Duh, of course we're Rangers! I just rose an eyebrow at him, crossing my arms. I shifted my hips to the side to make my pose seem a little more sassy and intimidating. I was making the face I always used on Keith whenever I wanted him to open up or tell me something. It has a 99% accuracy rate.

The suspiciously shady guy quickly turned into the suspiciously shady nervous guy. "Uh... I... I'm a geologist! I'm merely conducting soil analysis! That's what this computer is for!" He quickly sputtered out his excuse, nervously running a hand through his hair.

"You're conducting soil analysis by ramming the side of the cliff...?" I gave him the weirdest look ever, not buying his ridiculous story for one second.

Barlow raised an eyebrow, and I could tell he just got an idea. "...Hey Mr. Geologist. I'm curious: what exactly is the soil composition around these parts?" Barlow asked the suspicious guy.

Clearly starting to panic now, he began stuttering like a blubbering idiot. "Huh? The s-soil composition? Um, well, uh, let's see... Uh, there's red clay, and, um, some calcium, and a whole lot of dirt, and... Um, some water, yes, water, and uh... A dash of salt, and..." He cut himself of, groaning as he slapped his forehead. "ACK, forget this! You're good to see through my disguise! You guessed it! I'm a member of Team Dim Sun! But I won't tell you what I'm doing. My Rampardos will do all the explaining! Go, Rampardos! Batter down those Rangers!" The Dim Sun Minion ordered, typing something into his strange computer.

Just when I thought these guys couldn't get even more ridiculously stupid... Barlow and I just sweatdropped.

"Barlow! You take one and I'll get the other!" I said to him as each Rampardos began to charge at us.

"Yeah! You take right and I'll take left!" He nodded, and we both ran up to our respected Rampardos to capture.

"CAPTURE ON!" I yelled and began my capture. It was really tough, and still being injured from yesterday's mission didn't exactly help. The Rampardos kept throwing boulders at me and my Styler took a lot of damage. Aw crud... If I don't do something quick this Pokemon is going to bust my Styler...wait...That's it! I quickly turned to my beloved Partner. "Espeon! Use Hypnosis on the Rampardos!" I commanded. Espeon jumped in between the Rampardos and I, not even hesitating to unleash her hypnotic attack.

**BAM!**

And the Rampardos went out like a light. Time to finish my capture! I ran up to it and continued looping around the unconscious Pokemon with my Styler quickly before it woke up.

"CAPTURE COMPLETE!" I did my Ranger Pose as the Rampardos woke up, then quickly fled. I looked over to Barlow who was still having trouble with his capture.b"Espeon, let's help out Barlow and use Psychic on the Rampardos to hold it in place!" I commanded, and Espeon did as told.

"Thanks, Kate!" Barlow gave me a confident grin, wielding his Capture Styler. "CAPTURE COMPLETE!" Barlow finished up his capture; The Rampardos also came to its senses and fled.

Now it's time to deal with the Dim Sun Minion. Barlow and I started to walk towards him, and his computer exploded. This caused him to start freaking out just a bit.

"My tunnel-digging experiment's a failure!" He cursed himself, slapping his forehead. "My Rampardos ran away, too! I'm gonna run away with a few choice parting words! Don't think you'll win, you clueless Rangers! Team Dim Sun will put your lights out!" The Minion pointed a shaky finger at us, then spun around and ran like hell.

"Oh no you don't!" I began running after the Minion.

Barlow just laughed as he watched me tackle the guy effortlessly and knock him out. We had a Ranger from the Union come pick him up and take him back to HQ for questioning.

"So that guy was a Dim Sun creep after all. But there wasn't a Gigaremo in sight... So how'd he control those Rampardos?" Barlow wondered out loud, stroking his imaginary beard. "While a bigger mystery emerged, we did find out what was causing the tremors. It was also excellent that we freed the Rampardos. So... Mission Clear!" Barlow high-fived me. "Let's go back to the Vientown Base, now." Barlow ordered.

We exited Peril Cliffs, told the lady who tipped us off earlier what happened, and started to walk down Union Road. I quickly spotted a couple of Dodou, pointing them out to Barlow. We each captured one, mounted them, and rode them all the way back to the Ranger Base.

As we entered the Ranger Base, Barlow spoke up. "Kate, your performance has been outstanding lately." He patted me on the back, once again sending me crashing face first into the floor. Barlow didn't seem to notice. "You're certainly qualified for Ranger Rank 4, Kate!" Barlow announced, grinning at me.

I wore a large smile and immediately shot up from the floor. "Woohoo!" I cheered and did my Ranger Pose.

"Welcome back! I'm sort of jealous you got to stay overnight at the Ranger Union!" Luana giggled, giving me a welcome home hug.

"Alright, Kate. You've got to be exhausted, you can take the rest of the day off." Barlow ruffled my hair, dismissing me from my duties for the rest of the day.

Alright! Espeon and I turned into our room for the night. What a day... But still, what did that guy expect to achieve by tunneling through Peril Cliffs? I don't even know... I don't even think that's possible! I giggled to myself and climbed into bed, deciding to take a quick nap to recharge some of my energy. Dim Sun is really starting to worry me... Pokemon mind control? World domination? What the heck is going on...?

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**Here's Chapter 16 and Chapter 17 is on its way! I hope you guys all enjoyed this chapter! I had a lot of fun writing this one. School is consuming my life. I hate it. If school isn't a place for sleep, then why the heck do teachers think home is a place for school work? Logic? I see none. Anyways, I've been getting a lot of comments/PM's about some of you guys enjoying getting to know me and wanting to know more. Sooo...I figured I'd tell you all a little bit about me!**

**My name is Serena, and I'm a 16-year-old junior in high school. I write books and fanfiction in my spare time. Which, as of late, is VERY limited. And I mean VERY. Did I mention I hate school? I have an insane amount of energy, and my personality is that of a psychopathic weirdo.**

**Yep, that just about sums it up.**

**Aaaaaanyways...**

**Read, review, and enjoy!**


	17. Chapter 17: Outdoor Class again?

**(Kate's POV)**

"Morning, Kate!" Crawford greeted me with a cheeky grin, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Morning, Crawford!" I smiled back, then noticed the absence of our Leader. "Hey...where is Barlow?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Barlow left earlier for Boyleland." Crawford brushed me off as if it were nothing. "He had to go in a hurry. Apparently, all the island's Pokemon went and disappeared." Crawford wore a skeptical look. "How is that even possible? It's troubling, but Barlow's on the case. I'm sure he can solve it." He flashed me a goofy grin, which was pretty reassuring.

"Wow, that's one heck of a mission..." I sweatdropped, awkwardly scratching the back of my head.

"Yep! So, for today, I'm 1-Day Barlow!" Crawford punched the air with enthusiasm, nearly spilling his coffee in the process. What a dork...

Luana and I just groaned, slapping our foreheads. "I still don't understand why he put YOU in charge." Luana rolled her eyes, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair.

"Eheh..." Crawford sweatdropped. "Well... Let's not waste any time here! Today's the Ranger School's Outdoor Class. Barlow was asked to serve as the 1-Day teacher for the event, but he's gone off to Boyleland." Crawford then craned his neck to look over at me. "He sent me a Voicemail, though. 'Let Kate do it.' was his message. And he says to treat it as a mission." Crawford explained.

**MISSION 6: TEACH AT THE RANGER SCHOOL'S OUTDOOR CLASS!**

"Hey, that reminds me." Crawford mused, gaining my complete undivided attention. "I was the 1-Day teacher for the last Outdoor Class. Kate, you were a student then, and now you're a teacher for a day!" Crawford cheered, ruffling my hair and messing up my pigtails.

"Yep!" I laughed, quickly fixing my now messed up hair. "Well, I better get going now... Bye guys! See you tonight!" I waved good-bye and ran out of the Ranger Base, not wasting a single second. As the doors shut, I heard...

"CRAWFORD! GIVE ME BACK MY BRA YOU SICK PERVERT!"

"LUANA, WHERE DID YOU GET A CHAINSAW?!"

**WHAM!**

**CRASH!**

**SLAM!**

"AHHHH! LUANA! PLEASE STOP!"

**BOOM!**

"I'LL STOP AS SOON AS YOU GET YOUR STUPID AFRO BACK OVER HERE AND QUIT BEING SUCH AN OBNOXIOUS PERVERT!"

**CRASH!**

Ah... Just another normal day at the Ranger Base... I just rolled my eyes, then quickly started making my way towards the Ranger School with Espeon at my side. What? I wasn't about to stick around and face the wrath of Luana... I shuddered at the mere thought of it.

Espeon and I turned left and walked on the curved path until we came to the bridge that connects Vientown and the Ranger School. I started to cross it when I saw two familiar looking shady characters with a laptop and a Croagunk. They were facing the other way, so they didn't see me. Espeon and I stopped in our tracks, just staring at the two Dim Sun Minions.

"There! Spin 'round and 'round! Ahahaha!" The Team Dim Sun Minion laughed to the other.

"Ok, now jump! Boing! Boing!" The other typed in a command into the computer. The Croagunk obeyed and jumped.

"Man, this machine's awesome. Make it do something more complicated." The Team Dim Sun Minion ordered, waving his cohort over to the strange computer looking thing.

That's cruel! How can they do this to that poor Pokemon!?

"Well, all right." The second Team Dim Sun Minion shrugged, stepping over to the computer. "Let's see..." He pressed his finger to his lips, musing out loud. "Fly while you're asleep!" He typed in the command, anxiously waiting to see what happened.

The Croagunk just stood there, looking pretty confused.

This is horrible! I wanted to intervene, but I decided against it and to hold out a little longer to see if I could get any more information. If Barlow was here, he would KILL me for spoiling discovering some possible valuable information... Arceus only knows the lecture I received after the Peril Cliffs Mission...gah. I had to pick up Espeon and cover her mouth to keep her from growling...again.

"Wahaha!" The Dim Sun Minion laughed, clutching his gut. "How's that going to work? It's nothing like the old Gigaremo, eh? This Miniremo machine's something else! It's light and easy to tote around. It also has a hundred Pokemon commands!"

Miniremo? Did they develop a new version of the Gigaremo...?

"How's this for our Miniremo experiment?" One of the Dim Sun Minion's asked himself the rhetorical question. "Pretend you're a sumo wrestler using only yoga poses!" He quickly punched in the command.

Really? These guys fail at comedy...

The Croagunk leapt over the Dim Sun Minions and turned to face me. The Dim Sun Minions turned around their Miniremo to face the Croagunk, and then they spotted me! Darn it... I'm totally busted! I just let out a soft sigh. Oh well, at least I got the information I needed first...

"Gweh! A Ranger?" The Team Dim Sun Minion let his jaw crash hard to the floor, slapping his forehead in surprise. "How long have you been standing there?!" He asked me.

"Oh, you know." I shrugged my shoulders. "Just long enough to here all your babbling about your new Pokemon mind control device called the Miniremo and how it has a hundred commands, unlike your previous model, the Gigaremo." I retorted, feeling accomplished and proud of myself for knowing all of this.

They both just sweatdropped, and then one of them spoke up. "I know! We'll turn this into an opportunity!" You could practically see the lightbulb light up above his head. "Let's demonstrate how great the Miniremo is to this meddling Ranger! It'd get on my nerves if we had to keep this a secret!" The Minion punched in commands into the Miniremo.

The other spoke up next. "I agree with what you're saying. Here, try entering this command: attack while laughing uncontrollably!... How does that sound?" He asked his cohort, laughing at his "ingenious" idea.

The Team Dim Sun Minion punched in the command, and the Croagunk obeyed. It then turned around to face the Minions instead of me. Hah! Talk about Karma! "Awawawah! I punched the wrong keys!" One of the Minions panicked, starting to freak out as the Croagunk inched closer and closer.

Are all of these guys idiots, or what? No really, I'm asking...

"Cancel key! Hit Cancel! Hurry, come on!" The other squabbled, trying to fight his cohort for the keyboard.

"Chief, it's too late! We'll have to muscle our way through this!" He stepped around the Miniremo and pushed the Croagunk into me.

Well, I guess that works too. "CAPTURE ON!" I yelled and began my capture. It was super easy, and I performed my famous "5 second capture." Unlike its evolved form, Toxicroak, Croagunk was a fairly easy capture. It quickly came to its senses and ran away.

**BOOM!**

The Miniremo exploded.

"Tch! Meddling Ranger!" One of the Team Dim Sun Minions muttered curses to himself. "Chief, let's bail out!" He suggested, tugging on his cohort's sleeve.

"Bailing out sounds ok to me, but where?" He asked, looking around at his surroundings. "That way dead-ends at the school. This way, it's that Ranger!..." He then came to a realization, and the blood drained from his face in an instant. "Does that mean... That's what it means!" They both hesitated, then jumped off of the bridge and...into the water?

Did they seriously just do that...? Jheeze... I shook it off and continued walking down the bridge. It wasn't long before I found myself at the familiar entrance to the Ranger School. Ah...just like old times. As I entered the gate of the Ranger School, Ms. April walked up to me.

"Oh! Is that you, Kate?!" She smiled, excited and surprised to see me again. "You must be here instead of Barlow. Thanks for giving us your time." She led me up the stairs. We walked together all the way to the Staff Room, and I approached Principal Lamont to check in.

"Hello again, Principal Lamont!" I greeted him with a warm smile. Espeon jumped onto my shoulders and waved to him as we were talking.

"Welcome back, Kate." Principal Lamont shook my hand. "You graduated only a short time ago, so you understand how the students feel. We're all looking forward to an enjoyable Outdoor Class. This year, again, a graduate of our School returns to pass on knowledge. The torch of the Ranger School's tradition is handed off again. It is gratifying to see. Today's Outdoor Class will be held in Ascension Square. The students have been looking forward to this for days. Well, so have I, actually." Principal Lamont said.

Ms. April piped up. "That goes for me, too, of course. Oh, by the way, you remember Mr. Kincaid, don't you?" She asked me. How can I forget that hairspray head... "He's had to take a leave of absence for some reason." She started to explain. Good riddance! "We have a new teacher in his place. His basement room has been taken over by students for their tests of courage..." She quickly cut herself off, flashing me a sheepish look. "Am I tiring you with this school talk? Well, we should probably head down to Ascension Square now..."

I couldn't agree more. We all walked out of the Staff Room and made our way back to Ascension Square. I stood in front of the Pledge Stone as the kids filed in. They looked up at me in awe, whispering to each other excitedly. So many memories in this place...

Ms. April spoke up, raising her hand to silence everyone. "Ok, quiet please, everyone!" She shushed the students. "We've always had nothing but sunny skies for Outdoor Class. It's like magic! This is Kate, a graduate of our Ranger School, who is our 1-Day teacher." She introduced me.

I walked down off of the Pledge Stone into the middle of the circle of students and did my Ranger Pose. It's just a cool thing I do with my Styler while spinning in a circle on my heel. Relax, Kate... You can do this... Just hold in your anxiety and nothing bad will happen! And besides, there's no possible way these kids would discover my secret, the circumstances just aren't right. Right! I'm perfectly safe from being discovered!

"Hello, everyone!" I grinned, waving to the crowd of students. "My name is Kate, and this is my Partner Pokemon, Espeon!" I extended my arm and she ran across it, jumping onto the ground. She walked over to the students and let them pet her as she sat down with them and watched my "performance."

"Ok, let's get the Question and Answer session started!" Ms. April announced, clapping her hands together.

I nodded, then looked over at the crowd of students raising their hands. "Ok then! How about... You!" I pointed over towards a boy with dark hair.

"Did you get good grades at school?" He asked me, seeming a little nervous for my answer.

"Yes, I studied hard and did my best. Obviously my grades weren't perfect, but you definitely want to try your best!" I answered, punching the air with enthusiasm.

"Is your job busy?" A female student asked me. She was nervously biting her nails.

"Hmm..." I mused out loud, pressing my index finger to my lips. "It depends on the day, but lately it has been. I really don't mind, though!" I beamed at the students. "As my friends say, I'm practically married to my job, so it's not a problem for me!" Espeon just rolled her eyes, causing the students to giggle.

"Have you ever seen a real Gigaremo?" Another male student asked his question, his eyes were practically lit up with excitement.

I just smirked. "Yes! In fact, I was the one who discovered them, figured out how to destroy them, and figured out their purpose." I wore a cocky grin and did a comical bow.

"Wow! That's wicked!" He said in awe, slapping his hands on the side of his face.

A girl named Summer spoke up next. I heard someone call her that earlier. "Ehehe... Are you in love with someone? Perhaps a former classmate?" She snickered.

My face just flared a deep shade of red. "N-No! O-Of c-course not! That's just ridiculous!" I stuttered, on the defensive.

"Haha! Miss Ranger, you're blushing!" She sang teasingly, pointing at my reddened cheeks.

But of course this only made me blush even harder, so I covered my face with my hands in attempt to hide it. But...why was Keith the first person I thought of when she asked that?

"Have you captured more than 100 Pokemon?" Another male student asked me.

I recovered from my embarrassment and answered his question. "I haven't really kept count, but I guess it's probably close to that!" I sweatdropped, awkwardly scratching the back of my head.

"Wow, that's awesome!" He grinned at me.

"Is something bad taking place in the Almia region now?" A female student raised her hand, she seemed a little timid.

I just sighed. "I'm afraid it's too early to tell, but, it's looking that way. But don't you worry! If something bad is happening, you can be sure us Rangers will do our jobs to protect the Almia region!" I told her in a reassuring way.

Everyone seemed relieved at this.

"Is it true that Rangers can't go home very often?" A male student asked me curiously.

"It depends on where you're stationed and where your family lives." I began to explain, using hand gestures to help me convey my answer. "For instance, my Dad lives in Ringtown, and he's a Ranger, too, so sadly we don't get to see each other very often. But maybe you'll get stationed close to your family! Your Base Leader does allow you time off occasionally to visit your family, though." I finished up my explanation.

"That's a relief." He sighed, seeming more than a little relived.

"Wait... Your Dad is a Ranger in Ringtown? Who's your dad?" A female student inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Spenser Hitomi." I said in a proud tone, placing my hands on my hips as a wide grin stretched across my lips. Almost everyone who knows me knows that I'm super proud of my Dad.

"WOAH!" Everyone said in awe. Guess my Dad is pretty famous over here as well...

"Can I touch your awesome Styler?" A Female student asked me, she seemed a bit nervous.

"Sure!" I took it off and handed it to her, but she backed out at the last minute, so I put it back on my right wrist.

"Is... Is it fun being a Ranger?" A boy named Ben asked me. He had his name written in Sharpie on his Styler.

"Yes! I couldn't ask for a more exciting job!" I smiled happily, punching the air with enthusiasm.

"Ranger, do you sleep in pajamas at night?" Another boy asked me.

WHAT!?

"Oh no, we'll have none of that." Ms. April intervened. "Are we all out of questions? No one has a question?" She asked while looking over at all of the students.

"Yoohoo! I have a question." A Team Dim Sun Minion accompanied by another walked down the stairs and over to us. They were both soaking wet. Ah, those must be the idiots from the bridge incident earlier. One of the guys reached into his pocket, pulled out a gun, and grabbed the girl named Summer. He was holding her at gunpoint.

No!

"Dear Ranger, why did you have to mess with us earlier?" The Minion holding Summer at gunpoint asked me. I ran in front of the teachers and students to keep them away from the criminals. Summer was starting to freak out, but I remained calm.

"Do you really have to ask, you moron?" I asked sarcastically while rolling my eyes. I just had to keep them focusing on me so they wouldn't notice Espeon sneaking up behind them.

"Eh? H-Hey!" The gunman stuttered, flashing me an angered look. Good, that's just what I want. "We're here for payback! You don't get to have the upper hand here!" The idiot retorted. The students began to freak out. The teachers tried to calm them down, but they were also freaking out.

"Just let Summer go, please." I took a step forward, but I stopped when the gunman pushed the barrel of the gun into her head much harder. "You can have me, just don't hurt her." I breathed out the words in a calm tone.

"Hmm... No deal." The Minion smirked, raising an eyebrow.

"If you give me Summer now, then I won't have to take you down in front of everyone here. And that will just end up embarrassing the two of you. Also, I'm afraid I'll have to arrest you both and take you back to the base." I crossed my arms, holding my gaze with the gunman.

"Hah! Not a chance! Two against one? Sorry cupcake, but the odds are in our favor, not yours." The gunman scoffed.

"Ok then, if you insist." I let out a fake disappointed sigh. "Espeon, now! Use Psychic on the gun, then use Psybeam on him to get him away from Summer!" I commanded. The Minions looked confused, but then it happened. Espeon used Psychic on the gun and disintegrated it, then used Psybeam on the Minion. Her attack knocked him to the ground. Summer scrambled out of his grip and ran to me, and I hugged her and brought her over to Ms. April. Both of the Minions quickly started to panic.

"Shoot!" The former-gunman slapped his forehead. "Quick, get out the Miniremo!" The Minion on the ground ordered to the other one that was standing up.

"Oh! Right!" He sounded a little startled at first, then quickly came to his senses. He brought out another Miniremo, just like the one they had on the bridge earlier. "Carnivine! Attack!" Two Carnivine were summoned and began to attack me, and I just whipped out my Styler in response.

"CAPTURE ON!" I yelled and began my capture. Espeon knew I'd have no trouble with this, so she went over to Summer. She started to comfort her by communicating with her through telepathy, that way Summer could understand her. The capture literally took me 10 seconds, maybe even less than that. The Miniremo exploded, and the Minions REALLY started to freak out at this point.

"Tch! Schooled again!" The Minion formerly operating the Miniremo slapped his forehead. "How did she manage to turn things around when we had the upper hand...!?" He asked the other Minion.

"I don't know! Let's bail!" The former gunman suggested, scrambling up off of the floor.

"I don't think so, idiots. You're not going anywhere." I scoffed and cracked my knuckles, slowly approaching them with a smirk on my face. They started to make a run for it, but I got them both to the ground with ease. I pulled out two plastic ties from my pocket and put them around both of the Minion's wrists to act as make-shift handcuffs. I knocked them both out with a single blow to the face to prevent them from escaping, plus... I was still ticked off for what they did to Summer. Speaking of Summer, she walked up from behind me and tugged on my sleeve.

"Y-You... You saved me!" She stared at me wide-eyed. I turned around to look at her, she had tears in her eyes and Espeon on her shoulder.

"Are you kidding? I would've gladly taken that bullet for you, kiddo." I comforted her, kneeling down and hugging the poor traumatized girl. She was probably three years younger than me, maybe four.

"Thank you, Kate, for your bravery and heroics today." Ms. April smiled, walking over to us. "And for the best Outdoor Class in the history of the Ranger School! The students are never going to forget this." Ms. April let out a light chuckle, looking over at all the students. They were all jumping up and down in excitement, whispering things to one another while looking over in my direction.

I just laughed at the sight, shaking my head. "That's my job! Hey, Principal Lamont? I was wondering..." I started to say, looking over in his direction. "I need someone to help me lug these idiots back down to the Base, would you mind if I borrowed Summer for a bit?" I asked him as she looked up at me and grinned.

"Of course, just have her back by the end of the day, Kate." Lamont smiled, giving me a slight head nod. The students went into an uproar, saying how lucky Summer was to get to help apprehend crooks and work alongside a Ranger. The teachers lead the students back up to their classrooms. Pretty soon it was just me, Espeon, Summer, and the two crooks left in Ascension Square.

"S-So... What do you want me to do?" She asked, clearly still shaken up by the incident.

"Nothing." I grinned at her, ruffling her short brown hair.

Summer just raised an eyebrow, majorly confused. "H-Huh!? But didn't you ask..."

I quickly cut her off. "You seemed pretty shaken up still, so I figured you could use someone to talk to. Plus, we'll need to take your statement back at the Ranger Base." I had Espeon use Psychic on the Dim Sun idiots to teleport the three of them back to the Ranger Base. "One second." I told her, pulling out my Styler.

**-Voicemail! Voicemail!-**

I quickly Voicemailed Crawford on his Styler, and he was quick to pick up. _"Hello~! Crawford here!"_ I saw him flash me a goofy grin on my Styler screen.

"Hey, Crawford! I just wanted to give you a heads up, I'm sending some Dim Sun Minions over to the Base via Espeon's teleportation transportation." I warned him, then crouched down next to Summer so she could see Crawford's face on my Styler screen.

_"Oh...? Ok then..."_ Crawford awkwardly scratched the back of his Afro. _"I'm not sure what exactly you had to warn me about...ACK!"_

**FLASH!**

**SLAM!**

**BAM!**

_"OWW!"_

Summer and I just giggled as we saw the teleported Dim Sun Minions appear out of no where and land on Crawford, and I hung up right after that. I had a feeling that cheered her up just a little bit.

Summer covered her mouth a little bit to stifle her laughter. "Oh... Thanks." She flashed me a sad smile, nervously rubbing the back of her neck.

"You know, I was held at gunpoint once, too." I told her, standing up from the ground and looking up into the clear blue sky.

She seemed pretty shocked at this, nearly falling over. "R-Really? W-What happened!?"

I just smirked, then closed my eyes as I tilted my head downwards. "Thanks to Crawford and his cell phone camera, I can actually just show you what happened." I sheepishly pulled up the video and played it for Summer on my Styler as we exited the school.

"Wow! That was amazing!" She slapped her hands on the side of her face in amazement. She seemed to be more comfortable talking to me after I shared that with her.

"I looked fearless in the video, but... I was actually pretty scared to tell you the truth." I told her, looking down at the younger girl's face to see her reaction.

"Really?" She looked up at me wide-eyed, finding that hard to believe.

"Yeah." I smiled, nodding my head. "The only reason I was able to overcome my shock and defend myself was because my friends were there, severely worried about me. I knew I had to fight and keep going, not just for myself, but for them. After that day it just fueled my desire to be a Ranger even more. I wanted to be able to return the favor some day, you know?" I sighed happily and stuffed my hands in my pockets, smiling a little at Summer's inspired facial expression.

"Yeah... Yeah I do..." She ran a hand through her short brown hair, looking straight forward at the path back to the Ranger Base.

"You'll make a great Ranger someday, Summer." I told her as we approached the bridge.

She nearly fell over in shock. "H-how did you...?!"

I quickly cut her off with a slight laugh. "I know a Ranger when I see one." I smiled down at her, and she returned the smile.

"Why are you being so nice to me? Besides it being your job, I mean..." Summer asked, looking down at the ground with a sad expression.

Her sad look tugged at the strings of my heart, making me just want to take away her pain and make her feel better. "You remind me of myself back when I was a Ranger Student." I began to explain, and Summer was avidly listening. "I found my purpose, my REAL purpose for wanting to be a Ranger that day I was held at gunpoint. It fueled my desire to help people more. My friends were there to give me the push I needed to become the great Ranger and person I am today, I'm simply doing the same for you. I can tell you haven't quite found your purpose yet, and that you need that push. So that's what I'm doing for you." I finished explaining as we crossed the bridge and started walking on the School Road.

"Well... I think I just found it." She looked up and smiled at me, but then she abruptly stopped walking. "Kate?" She started to say, nervously playing with her hair.

I stopped and turned to face her. "Yeah, Summer?" I asked her, wondering what it was she was about to say.

She was looking down, nervously kicking at the ground. "Will I ever see you again? I mean... Once I graduate I may not get stationed in Almia, and... And I really like you. I mean, I'd like us to be friends. If you're ok with that, of course! It's just that you're kinda like the big sister I always wanted... I just..." As she was talking I unclasped my pendant from around my neck and threw it to her. She quickly caught it. "What's this...?" She asked as she looked at the circular blue aura stone on a chain.

"That's my lucky pendant, or should I say now it's YOUR lucky pendant." I started to explain, pointing at the blue aura stone in the center. "That's an aura stone, it helps you center yourself and focus on what's really important in life. An old friend gave it to me when I was really young... Take that, and that way, if you do get stationed somewhere else... You'll have that to remember me by." I smiled at her, then looked up into the sky. "And when we meet again, and I know we will...I'll recognize you and that pendant. I'd love to be your friend, Summer." I smiled at her, tearing my gaze away from the sky and locking mine with hers.

She had watery eyes, and she ran up to me and hugged me again. "Thank you..." She sniffled, looking at the pendant in her hand. "Since this is so important to you, I promise I'll keep it safe. Thank you..."

"It's no problem." I smiled, then broke away from the hug. "C'mon, let's go back to the Base and I'll introduce you to everyone!" I grabbed her hand and we quickly took off running for the Ranger Base.

I know everything I said to Summer was pretty lame and kind of cheesy, but... I'm glad I was able to both inspire and help her. It's just that... My friends helped me so much in turning me into the person and Ranger I am today... And by helping Summer...I feel that I'm sort of paying it forward by returning the favor and helping someone else. I know it sounds silly, but... She really reminds me of myself in a way. And as ridiculous as this sounds, I feel that if I can at least inspire ONE person to do something great... Then...I can do anything. It takes a lot to influence someone, change an opinion, or inspire someone...because every person's mind works in a different way. So by helping another...I feel that I'm also helping myself. Not in a selfish way, of course! But, I don't know... I just get this feeling that... Before I die, Arceus has something planned for me...

Something big.

* * *

**Ok, I know that last part of the chapter was REALLY lame, but I felt it was kind of necessary in order for me to show another side of Kate's personality. Hope you guys like this chapter! Now I need to stop procrastinating and get back to homework... *sweatdrop* dang school, doesn't it know I have my own plans?**

**Read, review, and enjoy!**


	18. Chapter 18: Barlow's Missing!

**Ok, let's get something straight here before we get started with the next chapter. Don't leave me reviews calling me out on EVERY SINGLE SPELLING AND GRAMMATICAL ERROR. Seriously?! That's not what the review section is for... Also, in the VERY FIRST AUTHOR'S NOTE in the first chapter, I specifically told you all that this was my first ever book, so go easy on me with spelling/grammar errors. It's a pain in the butt to comb through every chapter JUST TO ADD A COMMA IN ONE PLACE. ONE PLACE! You guys know what I mean, so PLEASE just ignore the spelling/grammar errors -.- thanks, I just needed to vent. No one's perfect here, especially not me. So you don't need to go reminding me about it.**

**Now, instead of just listening to my rant, go ahead and read this next chapter :D and don't forget to enjoy the story!**

* * *

**(Kate's POV)**

It seemed like a perfectly normal day to be honest. The sun was shining, and the Tailows were chirping. There wasn't the smell of burning toast in the air, which meant it was Anna's turn to cook breakfast this morning. Espeon was already up and awake, and I did my usual morning routine. But when I walked out of my room to see panic and worry on everyone's faces, I knew something was up.

"Erm... Guys? What's going on?" I asked, mostly directed at Crawford.

Crawford was nervously pacing back and forth, running a hand through his Afro. "Kate, I need you to go to Boyleland immediately. It's not only the Pokemon that have gone missing there, anymore." Crawford ordered. What? What does he mean by that? "Our Leader's apparently gone missing, too." Crawford sighed, looking over at me.

WHAT?!

Luana stood up from her chair, walking over to me. "The Union HQ's Operation Room raised the alarm. They reported that Barlow's location signal disappeared off their giant map display. If his Styler's functioning, it should be putting out a constant location signal... He hasn't reported, either. I'm worried about our Leader..." Luana sighed, there was an intense look of worry and concern on her face.

Crawford walked over to the both of us girls, towering over us with his ridiculous height. "The Union Operators reported that his signal vanished in Boyle Volcano. Knowing Barlow, he got careless and dropped his Styler in lava. I bet it's going to be something we can all laugh about later." Crawford chuckled lightly, but not really believing that last part. "Still, we'd like you to go to Boyleland and search for Barlow." Crawford looked down at me, growing serious once again. "As the stand-in for our Leader, I'll assign you this mission." Crawford wore a serious look, placing one hand on my shoulder.

I understand this is important, but... Why are they sending me?

As if she had read my exact thoughts, Luana spoke up. "We're sending you because despite the fact that you're a rookie, you're the best Ranger here." Luana wrapped one arm around my neck and ruffled my hair obnoxiously with the other. "Good luck, Kate!" Luana grinned, giving me a shove towards the doors.

"Thanks, guys!" I smiled at them all, waving good-bye to them. "I'll leave immediately." I ran out the doors with Espeon by my side, not wasting a single second getting started on this Mission.

I wonder what happened to Barlow...

**MISSION 7: LOOK FOR MISSING BARLOW!**

_"I'll transform into a Flying-type and fly you to Boyleland, it's faster than sailing."_ Espeon suggested, transforming into a Fearow. Hey, I'm not complaining. It's a pretty good idea to be completely honest here.

"Good idea." I petted her head and climbed on. A Fearow...? I feel like my Dad riding this Pokemon...

_"I'm sure he's fine, Kate."_ Espeon...er, Fearow, spoke up. _"Try not to worry." _She told me, trying to be comforting.

I just sighed. "I know... I just wish I had someone to talk to about this. I'm just sort of on my own here. Well, someone besides you, I mean!" I sweatdropped at that last part, petting her head.

_"I understand."_ She giggled, taking off into the air. She began flying higher and higher into the sky, her speed made the wind blow through my hair.

**-Voicemail! Voicemail!-**

...already? What is it now?! I'm pretty sure I didn't accidentally leave my phone at the Base!...again.

"You've got Kate..." I quickly cut myself off, just staring at my Styler screen in complete shock. "Wait... Keith?" I picked up the video call, surprised to see that Keith was the one calling.

_"Do you know any other irresistibly attractive red-head?"_ He sarcastically asked, wearing a dorky smirk. Normally I would've laughed, but I was in no mood. I was too worried about my upcoming mission. Keith just raised an eyebrow, noticing something was up. _"Kate...? What's wrong?"_ Keith asked me with a worried look on his face.

"I-It's Barlow... He's gone missing. I...I've been sent to find him in Boyleland. Last night his Styler stopped sending in a location signal to the Union... His last known location was in Boyle Volcano. I-I'm really worried, Keith..." I looked down and closed my eyes tight for a second.

_"Kate, try not to worry..."_ Keith comforted me, awkwardly scratching the back of his head._ "It's going to be ok, I know you'll find him. Everything's going to be ok, I promise."_ Keith calmed me down, trying not to worry me any further.

How does he always know what exactly to say and what I need to hear? I just sighed, then snapped my eyes open. "You're right...!" I told him, starting to regain my confidence.

_"It's about time that you admitted it." _Keith scoffed, doing a comical hair flip.

I giggled and rolled my eyes at the arrogance he was radiating. "Thanks, Keith! Be careful, though. If you let your ego get any bigger, your head just might explode." I continued to laugh as he just glared at me.

_"No problem, Katie."_ He smirked at me, shaking off that last comment.

My smile quickly melted into a glare. He just started to laugh at the face I was giving him. I groaned and rolled my eyes, then shook it off. "I heard about your heroics at Fiore Temple yesterday." I spoke up, trying to change the subject. I suspect we're about halfway to Boyleland now.

_"Did you now?"_ He wore a cocky grin, musing out loud. _"Did you enjoy the pictures of my handsome face in the Newpaper?"_ Keith made an arrogant pose of some sort, and I could almost see his ego getting bigger and bigger by the second.

I just groaned and rolled my eyes, slapping my forehead. "Keith, you know what I meant..." I started off in an exasperated tone, but he cut me off.

_"I know, I know! I'm just messing with you!" _Keith laughed, and the sound of his cute laugh made a teeny smile tug at the corners of my lips. I just rolled my eyes again. _"You know, if you keep rolling your eyes like that they're going to get stuck and ruin that pretty face of yours." _Keith said casually, probably not realizing what he had just said.

I just stopped and stared at him wide-eyed in amazement. Did Keith just call me pretty...? I looked at his face on my screen with my confused look. I could tell he was shocked that he had said that, and that he was hoping he just thought that in his head. "Keith... What did you say...?" I inquired, raising an eyebrow.

_"Oh...! I-I...Erm... It's nothing! Nothing!" _He stuttered awkwardly, waving me off.

"Sure didn't sound like nothing." I smirked, laughing a little.

_"Erm..."_ Keith awkwardly scratched the back of his head, his cheeks flared up.

He's so cute when he's flustered! If only he knew how I felt... It's not like I can tell him, anyways... A guy like that would never in his right mind fall for a freak like me... My destiny is to do one thing and then die alone. With the burden I live with...no one would want me...

"Why? Do you like what you see?" I joked as I struck a model pose. We both just busted out laughing at this. "Aww shoot...I'm here. I'll call you tonight to tell you how the mission went." I sighed, disappointed that I had to hang up. I wanted to talk to Keith more...

_"Alright, please be careful."_ Keith looked at me with his vibrant green eyes, I could tell he was being sincere.

_"He's worried about you because he loves youuuuuuuuu!"_ Buizel sang as he popped up on the screen.

I just giggled furiously at this.

_"Wha... BUIZEL!" _Keith shouted, startled. _"I DO NOT LOVE HER!"_ Keith started to chase Buizel around the room, shouting various curses at the orange otter Pokemon.

I know that what he said was true, but... It kind of hurt... A lot... Aw crud, I'm falling for Keith, aren't I...? As I thought this to myself I shut my eyes tight and pressed my top lip against my bottom one. I then quickly recovered and spoke up. "Ok Keith, try not to kill Buizel while I'm gone! I love you Buizel!" I sang into my Styler, getting ready to hang up.

_"Love you too, Kate! Say hi to Espeon for me!"_ Buizel yelled back, still trying to avoid Keith's wrath.

_"Bye, Kate! Good luck! And don't fall into the lava!"_ Keith teased, waving good-bye through my Styler screen.

"Haha, I'll try to avoid that! Bye, boys!" I winked at them and ended the transmission.

**Click!**

"Buizel says hi, Espeon." I told her, and we landed on Boyleland's pier. She transformed back into an Espeon.

_"Yeah. Thanks, Kate. It's not like I didn't hear that already."_ She said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Espeon..." I started to say, raising an eyebrow and crossing my arms.

_"What."_ She asked dryly, peering over her shoulder as she kept walking.

"Do you maybe like Buizel...?" I smirked at her, waiting patiently for her reaction.

...

**~Awkward Silence~**

...

_"Oh would you look at that! There's the Village Elder's house! We have to get his permission to enter the left side of the Volcano if we want to continue with our Misson..."_ She quickly started rambling as we walked up to the house.

She so likes him, she just doesn't want to admit it. I just rolled my eyes and followed behind the stupid cat, smirking to myself.

_"Buizel was being serious when he said Keith loves you, you know."_ Espeon told me, stopping at the Village Elder's door.

I just did a double take, nearly falling over. "W-What?! Nuh uh... No way... Keith only loves me as a friend... AT MOST. Nuh uh..." I stammered, defensively.

_"Buizel told me that Keith loves you after I told him how you love Keith. He says that Keith misses you more than anything and that you're constantly on his mind."_ She smirked, flicking her tail in a sassy manner.

"WHAT?!" I screamed at her, only causing her to laugh. "I don't love Keith!" Wait just a minute... "When did you talk to Buizel...?" I curiously asked, raising an eyebrow at my partner.

_"When you're asleep, sometimes I teleport myself over to Fiore and we talk about how our Rangers are idiots in love with each other, and how they refuse to believe that the other loves them, so they won't say how they feel to the other."_ Espeon giggled.

"ESPEON!" I scolded her, enraged beyond words. But mostly embarrassed. Did I say enraged already?

_"Oh please, Kate." _Espeon scoffed, rolling her eyes._ "Not only do you like Keith, but...you so love him."_ She smirked again, definitely enjoying this.

"W-Wha... No! I don't love Keith!" I defensively stammered again, flailing my arms around to help convey my opinion.

I don't love Keith, and Keith doesn't love me... I just like him a lot, care about him more than myself, think about him all the time, try to do everything I can to cheer him up when he's sad, and wish I could be with him every day just to see his adorable smile... That's not love... Right? And Keith? Being in love with...me? No... He can't possibly...

Right?

* * *

**(Keith's POV)**

_"Ok Keith, try not to kill Buizel while I'm gone! I love you, Buizel!"_ Kate sang into her Styler, wearing an adorable grin.

_"Love you too, Kate! Say hi to Espeon for me!"_ Buizel waved good-bye to her.

"Bye, Kate! Good luck! And don't fall into the lava!" I said sarcastically as she was about to end the transmission.

"Haha, I'll try to avoid that! Bye, boys!" She said in a flirtatious and teasing tone as she winked and hung up.

**Click!**

...

_"How much did it hurt when she said she loved me instead of you?" _Buizel smirked, crossing his arms.

"A lot, actually..." I sighed, looking down at the floor. "I know that's the truth, but..." I didn't even get to finish my sentence before Buizel cut me off.

_"But it still hurt."_ He jumped up on the bed to sit next to me, finishing my sentence for me.

I picked up the framed photo of Kate and I from my nightstand and looked at it. "Yeah, Buizel. Yeah it did."

"Dude, you know Kate loves you..right?" Buizel asked, putting his paws on the frame and looking up at me with big blue anime eyes.

I sat straight up at that. "How do you know?" I curiously asked, you could tell how anxious and hopeful I sounded just by the simple tone of my voice.

_"When I told Espeon you loved Kate, she got excited and told me that Kate also loves you!" _He happily explained, brimming with joy and excitement.

What? Wait...when did he talk to Espeon...? Gah, that's not important right now... "I-I...I don't believe it... She probably meant that she loves me as a friend." I sighed, tearing my eyes away from Buizel and looking back down at our graduation picture.

"_Believe what you want to believe, dude... But if you don't tell her soon, some other guy will."_ Buizel sighed, sounding pretty flustered with my stubbornness. And with that he walked out of the room.

Wait a second... I don't love Kate! I just like her a lot, care about her more than myself, think about her all the time, try to do everything I can to cheer her up when she's sad, and wish I could be with her everyday just to see her beautiful smile... That's not love... Right? And some other guy with Kate? I got mad just thinking about it. But I can't tell her! Not when I know she doesn't feel the same way... Kate? Being in love with...me? No... She can't possibly... Right?

I know Kate said she'd call me tonight, but... I got up and quickly packed a bag, told Cameron where I was going, and hopped on the first boat to Pueltown. Almia... Here I come!

I'm coming for you Kate, I'm coming.

* * *

**(Kate's POV)**

"You rotten bunch of crooks! You're messing with me: Barlow! You're not getting away with trussing me up a smidgeon on the tight side!" Barlow scolded the Dim Sun Admin while being carried onto a large Cargo Ship, he was tied up in ropes.

Barlow! Oh Arceus, what should I do?!

"Quit shouting in my ear! You're cargo! Be quiet already!" The Minions carrying him onto the ship whined.

Oh wait... Maybe I should back up a little bit...

Ok, so I got permission to enter the volcano from the Village Elder (after hours of trying to convince him that: a) I wasn't a boy & b) I wasn't working for Team Dim Sun. Seriously, how do you confuse the uniforms?!) and Espeon and I did just that. As we were making our way through the volcano, I found Barlow's Styler on the floor. It was switched off. I pocketed it and kept going until I saw two Dim Sun Minions talking to each other, and I quickly took cover and eavesdropped on their conversation.

* * *

**~Flashback to Earlier in the Volcano~**

_"What a nightmare that was last night. It was brutal trying to subdue that big Ranger, the way he fought. It took eight of us to finally bind him with ropes a smidgeon on the tight side. Pokemon Ranger, my ass. He should call himself a Pokemon wrestler." A Dim Sun Minion said to another._

_Barlow? Oh no..._

_"Sure enough, sure enough... I kind of goofed up, though. I grabbed that guy's Styler off him, eh? I think I dropped that Styler somewhere. I had it switched off, so there shouldn't be a problem, but..." The other Minion started to say, trailing off._

_"Yo! Dim Sun Morons! Want to save me the trouble of exploring this volcano and tell me where you've taken Barlow?" I sassed them, coming out of my hiding space._

_"Gweh! Another Ranger!" One of them doubled over in surprise. "Shoot, make a run for it! She's not big like the other one, but she's surely scary looking!" The Dim Sun Minion started to freak out as he grabbed the other and ran._

_So much for taking the easy way out..._

* * *

**~Back to Present Day~**

The Team Dim Sun Admin spoke up as he finished loading Boyleland's Pokemon into the Cargo Ship with his Miniremo. He was standing in front of four Dim Sun Siren Unit Minions. "Loading completed! We'll launch the Cargo Ship in two minutes! Guards, keep close watch!" He ordered.

The Dim Sun Siren Unit all nodded their heads. "Aye, aye, sir!" And then one of them in particular spoke up, "Ok, to review, what was the procedure if an intruder is spotted?" He asked.

The other three responded, "If it's a big one, truss 'em up. If it's a little one, kick 'em out!" And with that they went to their positions.

Hmm...should I use...ah, no! No, I just can't... Not here. Surely it would get me into the ship fairly easy, but... I would DEFINITELY be found out... Yeah, I just can't take that risk. There's too many witnesses here. I'm sure someone is bound to find out the truth about me some day, but today is just not that day. I ran through the crates quietly and snuck around the guards as I swiftly made my way to the Dim Sun Cargo Ship. I have only two minutes... Shoot... Better run! I ran as fast as I could, trying to be quiet and avoid confrontation with the Dim Sun idiots. I finally made it to the platform and ran to board the ship, but two Minions got in my way. So close!

"Not so fast, Ranger!" They both snickered, blocking my entry.

_"Er-hem! Ahem! This is your captain speaking! The Cargo Ship will now depart for our hideout! All crews, report to your stations!"_

No! I don't have time for this... I ran and pushed the Minions out of the way, knocking them into the water. I ran and jumped onto the ship, boarding it as it took off.

Oh Barlow... What have you gotten yourself into?

* * *

**Aaaaaaaand done! Sorry I was all grouchy in the first part of my author's note, I was just really annoyed and needed to vent... I don't know why that annoyed me so much, it just did. So, in conclusion: please don't call me out on my mistakes. Please. Just don't...for the sake of my sanity... These reviews just come off as very rude to me.**

**Anyways... 18/34 chapters down, 16 to go! YAY!**

**Read, review, and enjoy! :)**


	19. Chapter 19: So Epic You Can't Handle It

**(Keith's POV)**

"Welcome to Almia! Well, Pueltown, more specifically!" An oddly dressed man with bubble gum pink hair addressed me upon exiting the ship, shaking my hand. Why was he dressed like a tourist? Who knows... "I'm Brook, I've been asked to meet you at the harbor and direct you to the Ranger Depot! So, you're going to the Vientown Base, right?" Brook asked me, beginning to help me navigate my way through Pueltown.

"Yeah, I'm visiting an old friend." I paused, quickly catching my mistake. "...Or at least I want to be there when she gets back." I walked beside Brook with Buizel, and we started to walk towards the Ranger Depot.

"I have a friend at the Vientown Base, too!" Brook started to say, making conversation. "She's a really nice girl, she saved Pueltown when those crooks put up those Pokemon hypnotizing mailboxes. She's pretty famous in Pueltown for that! And I can't even list how many times she's had to bail me out for losing my Bridge Keys..." Brook sweatdropped, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. "She's made me like ten spare keys in the past two months!" Brook admitted sheepishly. "She comes to visit my wife and I every time she's on patrol. My daughters just love her, and they want to be Rangers because of her. She spends time with them, telling the girls all of her cool Ranger stories; she just adores them! Such a nice girl. Although, I'm concerned for her." He sighed, his eyes grew dark for a moment.

Hmm, she seems nice. I wonder why he's concerned for her? "And why is that, Brook?" I asked, sort of intrigued by this Ranger.

Brook sighed once again, rubbing the back of his neck. "She's practically married to her job. Barlow tries to get her to take a day off, but every time he does, she just says something like,_ 'I can't take a day off! There's never a day that work can't be done and someone won't need help!_'" Brook continued, laughing a little at that last part. "She has good intentions, but she pushes herself way too hard. For example, three months ago she was badly injured on a Mission, but she still kept going to save a Pokemon's life instead of getting her injuries treated. She was covered in deep, painful gashes, but she still kept going. I felt bad because she wouldn't have had to go on that Mission if I didn't lose my Bridge Key..." Brook's eyes stared down at the floor, I could tell he was feeling pretty depressed about that.

Huh, that kind of sounds like something Kate would do. Wait... "Brook, what's your friend's name?" I asked, super curious now.

"Katellina, except she hates it when people call her that, so we call her Kate." He told me, right as we arrived at Pueltown's Ranger Depot.

I just smirked. So that's what Kate's been doing in Almia in my absence, eh?

"Well, this is where I bid you farewell, Keith. Travel safe to the Ranger Base!" Brook waved good-bye as he turned around and headed back for the Norward Bridge.

I headed into the Vien Forest with Buizel, and we started to walk to the Ranger Base. It was only 5pm, so I should get there by 5:30 at the latest. The guys at the Ranger Base were thrilled to hear that I took a few days off and I was coming for a visit, so they're expecting me.

I can't wait until Kate gets back tonight. It's been three whole months since I last saw her in person. Three whole very, very long months without her... And with that, I began to navigate my way through the forest.

I hope her mission is going well...

* * *

**(Kate's POV)**

"This is the Kingston Valve? It looks like a giant drain plug if you ask me. Not a valve." A Dim Sun Minion commented to his cohort, pointing to a giant black valve on the floor of the ship.

The other just sweatdropped. "Yeah, that's what it is. A giant plug. You yank that out, seawater will flood the ship, and down she sinks. If that plug comes out, it would be almost impossible to put it back into place." He awkwardly scratched the back of his head, secretly hoping that there wouldn't be any need for unplugging this thing.

Noted. "Yoohoo! Dim Sun Morons! Can you direct me to the room where you're holding my Ranger friend hostage, please?" I asked, stepping towards the two guys with a skip in my step.

"...Hey. Who's the pretty girl, Dan...?" One asked the other, bumping his arm with his elbow.

"Wait a... Oh no! That's not just any ordinary pretty girl, Greg! That pretty girl is a Ranger!" The Dim Sun Idiot dropped his jaw, quickly beginning to panic. "Shoot! Get out the Miniremo!" The Dim Sun Minion (Dan) ordered.

I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment, or what...

"Machoke! Attack the pretty Ranger girl!" The Dim Sun Minion (Greg) ordered, and he sent two Machoke after me.

Well. That's a new one... Oh well! "CAPTURE ON!" I yelled, beginning my capture. It wasn't even a challenge, it took me ten seconds at best. Really...? They couldn't give me anything even slightly challenging? Wow... Just wow... "CAPTURE COMPLETE!" I yelled and did my Ranger Pose, and the Miniremo exploded.

**BOOM!**

Both Dim Sun Minions just sweatdropped. "Not only are you a stowaway pretty Ranger girl, but you had to beat us, too!" The Dim Sun Minion (Dan) complained, whining a little. Are all of these idiots this childish...?

"We're reporting you to our higher-ups!" The Dim Sun Minion (Greg) pointed a shaky finger at me, slowly backing up a little.

"Please do." I scoffed, smirking a little. "Tell them that I'll be on my way to have a little chat with them!" I flashed them a sweet and innocent smile, waving good-bye to the two guys who ran like hell over to the right of the ship.

I just laughed to myself and shook my head, pretending that this little encounter didn't just happen. I went in the direction they did, going through a series of doors on the right side of the Cargo Ship. I stumbled upon another Minion with a Miniremo; he had a Mime Jr. with him, the Village Elder's Mime Jr. I presume. I swiftly captured it and sent the Minion packing, screaming like a little girl. Seriously, where do the Team Dim Sun recruiters even find these guys...? The Mime Jr. began to lead me through the Cargo Ship. I went through a sliding metal door, through a room with a bunch of crates and conveyor belts (where I captured a Luxio, figuring it would come in handy at some point) and up a flight of stairs into a room with a blue Gigaremo controlling the minds of several Pokemon.

"I see..." I mused out loud, pressing my index finger to my lips. "So you want me to free your friends, correct?" I asked the Mime Jr.

_"Yes! Please help them, Miss Ranger!" _The Mime Jr. pleaded, staring up at me with big anime eyes. Aww, who could resist something this adorable!

"Of course!" I smiled at the Pokemon, then quickly spun around and got to work. I was right, capturing that Luxio would, in fact, prove to be useful. I ordered Luxio to take out the Gigaremo. After it was destroyed, all of the Pokemon came to their senses and surrounded me.

_"Thank you, Miss Ranger!" _They all thanked me in unison, causing me to wear a wide grin that stretched from ear to ear.

"It's no trouble at all!" I beamed at them, showing them I was being sincere. "Now, I need all of you guys to help. I plan on taking over this Cargo Ship as soon as I rescue my friend and return you all back to Boyleland. I need you all to explore the ship, blow up any other Gigaremo you can find using your target clear field moves, and rescue all the Pokemon you can find. Also, make Team Dim Sun's lives a living hell! When you're done, meet me on the top of the ship, ok?" I gave the orders, hoping that they would comply.

_"Yes!"_ They all cheered, quickly scampering off to do what I asked them to do.

"Ok, Espeon. Let's keep going." I told her, ushering her to walk alongside me and keep going deeper into the Cargo Ship.

_"You're quite the leader you know, Kate."_ She smirked, flicking her tail back and forth as she walked to catch up to me.

"Well, someone has to be." I sighed, and I quickly took off running up another flight of stairs.

HOW BIG IS THIS SHIP!?

As I made my way through another large floor of the ship, I found and destroyed a yellow Gigaremo. After that; I went through another door to find two hamster-ball-like generators behind a wire fence, they were being run by an Electabuzz and a Magmar.

"Espeon..." I started to say, not even getting another syllable out. I didn't even have to ask, she already got to work destroying the fence to release the poor Pokemon.

After we set the Pokemon free, I kept going and went through another door, walked down a hallway, turned right, and opened yet another door. This room was pitch black. Why are the lights off...

"Who's there!? Some knucklehead of a Dim Sun?! Or would that be a Dim Sun Goon?" Someone shouted, making a racket. I had to cover my ears to block out a lot of the loud noise.

Recognizing the voice immediately, I sassed him back as I reached for the light switch. "Well, if that's the way you're going to treat the girl that came all the way out to Boyleland to save your ass, then maybe I should just leave." I smirked, one hand rested on my hip as I turned on the lights with the other.

**FLASH!**

I smirked over in Barlow's direction, he was still in his tied-up state. He seemed to feel kind of sheepish for what he had said, but also relieved that I was here.

"Wha..you...? Kate?! Wh-What are you doing here?" He asked me, clearly confused. Barlow was staring up at me with the most shocked look ever.

What does it look like I'm doing? Pretending to have a tea party with Luana's Pokemon Plushies? Hah, just kidding; that's Crawford.

"Oh, I'm just wandering around this huge Cargo Ship for the hell of it..." I rolled my eyes, being sarcastic. "Barlow!" I groaned, slapping my forehead. "I'm obviously here to rescue you, silly goose!" I said sarcastically, approaching him and untying his ropes; also handing him his Capture Styler.

"Oh, right! Eheh..." Barlow sweatdropped, standing up and regaining his bearings. "Sorry! I wish you never saw me this way, though." Barlow sighed. And I'm not going to lie, it was weird seeing our Leader down like this. "Being roped up a smidgeon tightly... Ollie put up with it without a peep. Tough guy. Thanks, Kate... Even in my wildest dreams I never thought you'd be the one to rescue me..." Barlow sighed, feeling kind of depressed at the moment. I can see why, though. Being captured and tied up by the enemy and left in the dark... That had to have been nerve-wrecking and demoralizing.

"Well thanks for that backhanded compliment, Barlow. Missed you too." I rolled my eyes sarcastically, scoffing a little.

"Oh, I didn't mean..." Barlow tried to apologize, but just cut himself off and brushed it off. "Ah... Never mind. It burns me to think I had the Ranger's symbol taken from me (his Styler) It tells me I need to do better." Barlow sighed, equipping his Capture Styler onto his right wrist, then switching it on. "There's a lot of new mail in the inbox. People were trying to get in touch with me... Huh? An incoming message already?" Barlow raised an eyebrow as he picked up the video call.

**-Voicemail! Voicemail!-**

_"Hey, it's Crawford calling! Your Styler started transmitting again! Good job, Kate!"_ Crawford congratulated me, flashing me a cheeky grin.

"Thanks, Crawford!" I jumped over to Barlow so his Styler would project my face to the guys back home, too.

_"Both your location signals are coming in clearly. If there's any problem, inform us by Voicemail, please... Leader, I'm glad you're safe!"_ Crawford sighed in relief, more than happy to see our Leader was ok. I know they were all so worried.

_"Us too!" _We heard Luana, Elaine, and Anna say in the background.

"ALRIGHT!" I shouted, punching my fist into the air. "LET'S GO KICK SOME TEAM DIM SUN BUTT! WOOHOO!" I yelled with enthusiasm, and everyone just laughed.

**Click!**

The transmission ended.

"I've caused everyone a lot of worry with all of this..." Barlow stared down at the floor. "My Makuhita suffered because of me, too. I'm sorry, dude." Barlow apologized to his partner, he forgave him instantly.

"Don't worry about it." I told him as I walked towards the back of the room, noticing a locked metal door. "Barlow? Think you can get this door open?" I tapped on the door that probably lead to the top of the ship.

"Now THAT I can do." He smirked. "Kate, stand back." He motioned me over towards the corner as he began backing up. Did I know what he was doing? Nope!

"TAAARRRGET... CLEAR!" He yelled as he ran at the door as fast as he could, plowing right through it and knocking it off of its hinges.

"Holy..." I dropped my jaw, completely dumbfounded.

_"Arceus..."_ Espeon finished my sentence for me, mimicking my exact facial expression.

"C'mon, Kate! Let's go!" Barlow yelled from the other side of the door...er, gaping hole in the wall...

Espeon, Makuhita, and Barlow and I continued to walk down the hallway towards a flight of stairs that led to the top of the ship. But before we could go up, we were stopped by a Dim Sun Minion who came down the stairs.

The guy in front of us started to tremble at the sight of Barlow being free. "The b-b-big Ranger's broken out! Help, someone! I need backup!" He screamed; like a little girl, if I say so myself.

He pulled out a Miniremo as another Minion came up from behind us and also pulled out a Miniremo. "This is it for you! There's no way out now!" The guy behind us snickered.

"Tsk... They spotted us..." Barlow muttered curses under his breath.

"Yeah, you think?" I rolled my eyes at him, and he did the same for me. We both started to laugh a little bit.

"I'll get the moron up front if you get the idiot in the back." I suggested with a shoulder shrug, beginning to get my Styler ready for a capture.

"Sounds good." Barlow nodded his head, spinning around on his heel and whipping out his Styler.

"CAPTURE ON!" We both yelled at the same time, getting ready to perform a double capture back-to-back.

I began to capture the three Magcargo the Dim Sun Moron sent after me, and Barlow started to capture the two Magmar the Dim Sun Idiot sent after him. I completed my capture in 8 seconds, it was too easy. Barlow, however, took a minute or two.

**BOOM!**

**BOOM!**

Both Dim Sun Minions just sweatdropped.

The Dim Sun Moron in front of me spoke up. "I'll go get help! You hold them back!" He said to the Dim Sun Idiot behind us.

The Dim Sun Idiot just frantically shook his head. "Don't leave me alone with them! I'll go get help, and you stay here!" He told his cohort, really not wanting to be left alone with the two of us Rangers.

Barlow and I just sweatdropped as the two continued to bicker with each other with us in between them.

"This is what we'll do: we'll both go get help!" The Dim Sun Moron up front suggested.

The Dim Sun Idiot behind us seemed all for it. "That's a brilliant idea! Let's put it into action!" Neither of them wasted a single second in scampering off.

Barlow and I, alongside our partners, proceeded to the top of the Cargo Ship. Strangely, no one was around. Weird... You'd think there would be at least SOMEONE up here, at least one person. I walked onto the middle of the deck, doing a 360 on my heel. Yep, it's deserted. I looked over at the calm blue ocean, the sea breeze lightly blowing through my pigtails. It was quiet, too quiet... I'm getting a bad feeling about this.

"We got lucky! No one's here!" Barlow said excitedly, grinning a little. "Let's go to the control room over there and take command of the ship!" Barlow began to run up to the door, not wasting any time in doing so.

**Twinge!**

Uh oh... My Aura senses are going of like a strobe light! And this isn't the good type of Aura that I'm sensing right now!

My eyes just widened, and I tried to grab onto the back of his jacket to stop him. "Barlow, wait! Don't! It's a tra..." But before I could even say anything, the door swung open, and out came...wait...? What. The. Heck. "KINCAID?!" I yelled in confusion at the man dressed in a girly Dim Sun Uniform. Kincaid started to walk towards the two of us Rangers.

...what? Oh come on, he was wearing a cape for crying out loud... And a mask... You can't honestly tell me that isn't even the slightest bit ridiculous. Who does he even think he is?

"Well, what a surprising guest we have." Kincaid smirked over in my direction, and I snarled at him. "If it isn't Kate. You haven't been running in the ship's hallways, have you?" Kincaid asked, scoffing a little.

"Shut up, Kincaid." I glared at him, but then my lips quickly stretched into a smirk upon getting an idea for a come-back. "Oh, what happened to the blue hair? You didn't like the color I so carefully chose for you?" I sassed back with my hands on my hips, teasing the egotistical jerk.

Kincaid's jaw crashed to the floor, and he was so shocked that he was having trouble speaking. "T-That... Was you?! WHY YOU LITTLE..." He was about to say something, but stopped himself. Looks like someone has anger management problems. "We haven't met since your graduation eight months ago, have we?"

"Yeah, and good riddance." I scoffed and crossed my arms, blowing a strand of hair out of my face.

"Kate, who is this guy...?" Barlow asked, shooting me a confused look.

Kincaid proudly answered for me. "Team Dim Sun's guiding light! Mr. Kincaid! You've certainly come a long way to be confronting me. I wouldn't have imagined it from an unruly brat like you, Kate. Not from one who ran in hallways and snuck around where you didn't belong." He began insulting me, but I didn't care. There's nothing he could say to me that would make me ma... "And with that pathetic loser red-head friend of yours..." He continued. I stand corrected. Now my blood was boiling. I could feel my face heat up. No one. Insults. Keith. "But, your journey ends here... Fufufu..." Was that supposed to be an evil laugh...?

All of a sudden, six Dim Sun Minions and Two Admins came up from behind us and whipped out Miniremo's. Aw crud... We were trapped.

"Kincaid! You knew we were coming!" Barlow exclaimed in a shocked tone, looking at the guys surrounding us.

I just sweatdropped. I may have had something to do with that...

"You thought we wouldn't notice?" Kincaid just scoffed, flipping his ridiculous blonde hair. "Minions! Take care of them!" Kincaid ordered, pointing a finger in our direction.

"Aye, aye, sir!" They saluted, typing commands into their Miniremo's; it sent four Rhyhorn's after us. Barlow and I divided it up, each taking two.

"CAPTURE ON!" We both yelled and began our captures. It was a little tricky, considering the fact that the Pokemon kept summoning Earthquakes to attack us with. As usual, I completed my captures a minute or two before Barlow did.

"CAPTURE COMPLETE!" I heard him yell as the Miniremo's both exploded. I turned to look to my left, glancing over at Barlow. Yep, looks like he finished things up on his end.

"We're sorry, Captain!" The eight Dim Sun idiots all sweatdropped, flailing their arms about in a panic. "We're too ashamed to face your anger, so we'll swim home!" They all jumped off the side of the ship and plunged into the ocean, and several splashes followed.

**SPLASH!**

**SPLASH!**

**SPLASH!**

**SPLASH!**

**SPLASH!**

**SPLASH!**

**SPLASH!**

**SPLASH!**

Erm... Oh-kay then...

"Very well." Kincaid scowled, then quickly recovered. "Let those incompetents go. Their absence will lighten the ships load and reduce its fuel consumption..." He spun around in a ridiculous manner, looking over his shoulder to glance at both Barlow and I. "I must admit, you two are better than I'd expected. Perhaps you did glean something useful from the Ranger School." Kincaid scoffed as he whipped out a Miniremo, summoning a Drapion. Six more Minions and two more Admins came out to replace the last eight Dim Sun Morons who jumped overboard a minute ago. They whipped out Miniremo's, too.

"How many of these clowns are there? It's like there's an unlimited supply!" Barlow dropped his jaw, slapping his forehead in shock. "I'll go after Kincaid! You take the small fry, Kate!" Barlow ordered, running towards Kincaid and the Drapion as I turned to face three Stunky.

"Get them!" Kincaid ordered.

"You're gonna get it, Hairspray Head!" Barlow sassed Kincaid.

"Hah! A mere Area Ranger is going to defeat this Drapion?" Kincaid scoffed as he typed in a command into his Miniremo.

"I'm not going to defeat it! I'm going to befriend it!" Barlow said with pride as he began his capture.

Ok, we're on the same side and even I think that sounded lame...

"Stunky! Attack that Ranger Girl!" The eight Dim Sun Idiots ordered.

I quickly turned my attention back to the Pokemon charging at me. "CAPTURE ON!" I yelled and began my capture. It was a bit difficult because they kept summoning poison clouds that severely damaged my Styler, but, in about 30 seconds I captured the three Stunky and released them.

**BOOM!**

The Dim Sun Idiots two Miniremo's exploded. Yes! "Thanks for the help with that capture, Espeon!" I gratefully thanked my partner.

_"You're welcome, Katie!"_ She grinned, giggling at that last part.

"Katie...?" I asked curiously, shooting her a weird look.

Espeon just sweatdropped. _"Well, people who are really close to you call you Katie...so I figured I'd give it a shot..."_ She said sheepishly, nervously looking up at me.

I just rolled my eyes, shaking my head. "The only people who call me Katie are people who've known me since I was a kid..." I clarified.

_"So that's a no to the nickname?"_ She inquired, grinning awkwardly. Stupid cat...

"Just call me Kate." I giggled at Espeon, who in return started to giggle as well.

"We're sorry, Captain!" The eight Dim Sun idiots all sweatdropped, flailing their arms about in a panic. "We're too ashamed to face your anger, so we'll swim home!" They all jumped off the side of the ship and plunged into the ocean, and several splashes followed.

**SPLASH!**

**SPLASH!**

**SPLASH!**

**SPLASH!**

**SPLASH!**

**SPLASH!**

**SPLASH!**

**SPLASH!**

Wait...didn't we just do this? I think we did... Ok, this is one seriously weird case of déjà vu...

**SLASH!**

**RIIIIP!**

"WAAAHHH!" Barlow screamed as he was hit with Drapion's slash attack; he was sent flying into the ship wall. A loud clanging noise erupted upon his head slamming into the metal wall, causing me to wince. He was instantly knocked unconscious with a broken Styler next to him.

"BARLOW!" I screamed, slapping my hands on the sides of my face. I quickly ran to him and began shaking him, I was attempting to wake him up. He wasn't stirring from his sleep-state, he was knocked out cold. That gash on his chest is pretty bad... It was bleeding furiously, and it was pretty deep. No no no! It can't end like this! If I don't get Barlow off of this ship, and fast...he... I don't want to think about it. I technically could do something to help, but I can't! There's too many witnesses here! As much as I hate to say this, keeping my secret safe takes priority over helping Barlow. And I hate being so selfish right now.

"Espeon, stay here and help Barlow any way you can." I ordered in a seriously ticked off tone as I turned around and started to walk away.

_"Kate...? Where are you..."_ She started to ask, but I cut her off.

"I'm going to go capture Kincaid's damn Drapion." I growled under my breath as I approached the son of a bitch. No one hurts my friends. NO ONE.

"Kate, you may be interested in who developed the Miniremo." Kincaid smirked, watching as I stormed over to him. "It was a youth. A boy, really. He's about your age. That boy was, and is, a genius of the sort that comes along once a century, if that. To recruit that genius, I had taken a position at the Ranger School. Does that surprise you?" Kincaid boasted, flipping his hairspray-soaked hair.

Wait... Genius of the century? Boy my age? Ranger School? Oh no. Please...no. Isaac...? "You used the Ranger School for that?!" I yelled at him, completely shocked and infuriated. My whole face practically flared up red in anger. He hurt Barlow, insulted both Keith and I, AND he used Isaac? That's it. "Hairspray Head, you're going down!" I yelled, completely infuriated now. I whipped out my Styler, getting ready for this challenge. I was about to capture this Drapion one way or another. And then I remembered something... Summer. I have to do this for kids like Summer. To keep this world safe, and to give kids like Summer a shot at being a Ranger... I have to do this. Even if it means I die trying.

"Fwahahaha! Say what you will." Kincaid scoffed evilly, then clapped his hands together in a sinister manner. "Now, let us begin your final lesson. Fufufu... Go, Drapion! Show that brat no mercy!" Kincaid ordered as the Drapion charged at me.

"CAPTURE ON!"

And then the fifteen minute long capture began. I was dodging several Poison Sting and Slash attacks left and right; some of them hit, and some of them didn't. The Drapion kept summoning poison clouds for me to choke on. My torso and arms were cut up pretty badly by the time I captured that stupid freaking Drapion fifteen minutes later. That was one TOUGH Pokemon... And that was also the longest capture I've ever done.

"Capture... C-Complete..." I muttered under my breath, collapsing from exhaustion.

"Gah... I seem to have underestimated you, Kate..." Kincaid cursed himself, pulling out a hand radio. "To all crew members! This is your captain speaking! This is an emergency! The crew chief on C Deck is ordered to pull out the Kingston Valve." Kincaid ordered, he showed absolutely no remorse whatsoever. The Kingston Valve...? Wait... He's going to sink the ship with all of the Pokemon and people on board?! "All other crew members are to abandon ship on their own initiative! Abandon ship, and swim!" Kincaid ordered as two Admins came out of the control room. Kincaid whipped out a second Miniremo, summoning a Gliscor. "Dearest Kate, do you understand the significance of the Kingston Valve? Its removal will flood the ship, taking all the evidence of our plan to a watery grave! This will be your final resting place! And for the Pokemon on board, too!" Kincaid snickered.

I panted to catch my breath, placing my shaky hands on the steel floor and began pushing myself up. "...Like Hell... I'm going to... Let that happen... You sick... Bastard..." I managed to sputter out as I wobbly stood up.

**BOOM!**

A massive tremor suddenly erupted throughout the ship, causing me to nearly lose my balance. Uh oh... The ship's taking on water!

"Kate!"

Huh? I spun around to see... "BARLOW?!" I yelled in surprise as he ran up to me. How is he even walking right now?!

"Espeon healed me as much as she could, but I'm afraid this has to heal naturally." Barlow pointed to the bleeding gash on his chest. It was still pretty bad, but looking much better than before.

"Bon voyage, Pokemon Rangers!" Kincaid cackled as he hopped on the Gliscor and flew away.

"Oh, hey! That's not fair; Captain gets to fly!" One of the Admin's complained to the other.

"Captain's always been that way with us. We have no choice but to jump and swim." The other Admin sighed, and they both ran and jumped overboard.

**SPLASH!**

**SPLASH!**

"That sneak's really done it now!" Barlow seethed through his teeth as I began running towards the control room.

"C'mon, Barlow!" I called out to him, ushering him over to the control room. "We're going to save the ship, Pokemon and all!" I ran inside of the control room with Barlow and our partners close behind.

Barlow ran in and took the wheel. "I've never handled a ship this size before... But we're running out of options...!" He sighed, exasperated. "This is bad, though." Barlow gritted his teeth. "The closest port is Pueltown, but I don't think we can stay afloat long enough... You can tell we're already starting to take on water, right? My Styler's out of commission. Kate, use yours to sound the alarm!" Barlow ordered.

"Yes, sir!" I saluted and dialed the number for the Vientown Ranger Base. My Styler is so damaged from the Drapion capture that I can only do a voice call...

**-Voicemail! Voicemail!-**

"Crawford, come in! This is Kate! Do you read me?" I asked into my Styler, hoping someone was listening. Anyone. "We've taken command of Dim Sun's Cargo Ship!... But... The ship is sinking... I'm not sure if we're going to make it to Pueltown in time... In other words, this Voice Call could be me final words..." I started to tear up, feeling a little depressed and heart broken.

_"This is Crawford and everyone at the Base!" _Crawford picked up the call, giving me his panicked reply. _"That's not like you, Kate! And, as a joke, it's the worst! You've got to reach shallow waters and beach the ship! If you can't do that in time, abandon the ship, and save yourselves!"_ Crawford ordered, you could hear how worried he was from his tone of voice.

Barlow chimed in. "That is if there are any shallows..." He sighed, sulking his head just a little bit.

"Like hell I'm going to do that, Crawford!" I scoffed, shaking my head. "You just watch! We will save the ship AND the Pokemon on board! You don't seriously think we're going to leave the Pokemon and save ourselves, do you?! This is Kate, over and out!"

**Click!**

I hung up without hesitation. I turned and ran for the door, but Barlow stopped me.

"Kate? Where are you going?!" He asked, shooting me the weirdest look ever. He still kept one hand on the wheel as he glanced at me over his shoulder.

I let out a sigh of mixed feelings, knowing full well this could be my final good-bye. "To put the Kingston Valve back in... Wish me luck!" I ran out the door before he could even try to stop me.

"KATE! WAIT..."

**SLAM!**

I shut the door and kept running down flights of stairs with Espeon. We passed several Dim Sun goons running for their lives. I instructed any Pokemon I passed to go to the top of the ship and wait there with Barlow. I kept on running. The slash on my stomach was bleeding furiously, I wouldn't be surprised if I didn't make it... But I kept going. If I wasn't going to make it... I sure as hell was going to make sure everyone else did.

We entered the bottom floor; it was three-quarters of the way full of water. There were giant crates tipped over everywhere.

"C'mon, where is it... Where is it...?" I mumbled to myself as I hopped from crate to crate, looking for the Kingston Valve. I then spotted a huge grey valve a few yards away from me. "Aha! There! Espeon, use Psychic on the valve to put it back in place!" I ordered and pointed to the Kingston Valve. It was a great struggle, but she managed to do it.

**THUD!**

**CLICK!**

We... We did it... Ha...! We put it back in...! The ship has stopped taking on water! All of a sudden, the ship made a very sharp turn and I was flung into a metal wall.

**SLAM!**

My head hit first, taking most of the blow. I felt it begin to throb and a small drop of blood trickle down my forehead. My vision grew cloudy, and everything...was growing...dark...

* * *

**(Keith's POV)**

When I finally got to the Vientown Base, something was going on. Crawford was talking to someone on a voice call with everyone huddled around him, worriedly listening.

_"Crawford, come in! This is Kate! Do you read me? We've taken command of Dim Sun's Cargo Ship!... But... The ship is sinking... I'm not sure if we're going to make it to Pueltown in time... In other words, this Voice Call could be me final words..."_

Oh no, Kate! I ran over to them and joined the others, worriedly listening.

"This is Crawford and everyone at the Base! That's not like you, Kate!" Crawford panicked, very worried. "And, as a joke, it's the worst!" Everyone just sweatdropped at that comment. "You've got to reach shallow waters and beach the ship! If you can't do that in time, abandon the ship, and save yourselves!" Crawford ordered them in a strict tone, very worried about Kate and Barlow.

Barlow chimed in. _"That is if there are any shallows..."_

_"Like hell I'm going to do that, Crawford! You just watch! We will save the ship AND the Pokemon on board! You don't seriously think we're going to leave the Pokemon and save ourselves, do you?! This is Kate, over and out!"_

"NO! KATE!" I yelled, but it was too late. She ended the transmission.

Several minutes passed. Crawford managed to use Kate's Styler signal to see where they were going; they were headed towards the Ranger School. We all rushed out of the Base and ran the whole way to the Ranger School.

When we entered the gate, Ms. April was startled and began to say something. "Huh? What's going on..."

**BOOM!**

What was that?!

We all followed the sound of that really loud crash all the way to Ascension Square. By that time, Principal Lamont joined our group, and we ran down the steps. And there was the Cargo Ship... They crashed it into the side of the Ranger School! They did it!

"I have to hand it to you, Barlow! That was an incredible display of split-second decision making!" Crawford laughed out of relief, as did the others.

Barlow and Makuhita came running out of the ship and over to us.

"Barlow! Thank goodness you're safe!" Luana cheered as she ran up to him and hugged him. "Arceus! You need medical attention!" She dropped her jaw at the bleeding gash on his chest. How did he even get that?!

Principal Lamont just raised an eyebrow. "The pier seems to have been inadequate for the role... What exactly is taking place?" Lamont asked.

"This Cargo Ship was used by Team Dim Sun." Crawford started to explain. "They were using it to abduct Pokemon and transport those Gigaremo machines. Barlow and Kate discovered what the ship was used for. However, when defeated, Team Dim Sun abandoned the ship. But they also tried to scuttle the ship with the Pokemon still on board. To save the Pokemon, Barlow and Kate had to run the ship aground." Crawford just sweatdropped. "I'm sorry to say that the ship ran over your pier... On the bright side, all the Pokemon have been saved!" Crawford grinned, giving Lamont an awkward thumbs-up.

"That's wonderful!" Ms. April smiled, clapping her hands together.

"I'm happy to see they were successful at ramming the pier!" Lamont chuckled. "The pier is of no concern. We got to witness the outstanding courage and decisiveness of two graduates. It's another example of model behavior that we can present to our students. Incidently, where's Kate?" Lamont asked.

...

**~Awkward Silence~**

...

"She can't be..." Ms. April's eyes grew wide, a look of horror plastered on her face.

No. Arceus, no...Kate?

"That was a rough crash..." Crawford slapped his hand over his mouth, starting to look terrified.

"Stop that! Kate isn't that fragile!" Luana scolded everyone, very upset by everyone's far-fetched conclusions.

"Yeah! What Luana said!" Kate emerged from the ship wreckage. She was banged up pretty badly, holding an unconscious Espeon in her arms. "I swear to Arceus, Barlow...! Next time we take over an enemy Cargo Ship, I'm fucking driving..." Kate scolded as she stumbled, I caught her as she was about to fall.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Everyone laughed and was relieved to see that Kate was ok. Buizel took Espeon from her and started to attend to her injuries. Meanwhile, I propped Kate up to face everyone who were looking at us with a knowing smirk. Kate hadn't noticed it was me who caught her.

Confused, she slowly turned around to face me. We made eye contact. Arceus how I've missed those sparkling blue eyes... "Keith...?" She stared at me, confused at first, and then she leapt into my arms and knocked me over. "KEITH?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" She excitedly shouted as she continued to hug me to death; everyone just laughed at us.

"Erm... Surprise?" I sweatdropped, unsure how to respond to that. "You sounded upset earlier during the call, so I took a few days off to come see you." I explained as we both got up.

"Aww! How cute!" All the girls sighed happily, I swear they all had hearts for eyes. Wait what?

"You came out here... Just for me?" She blinked. Clearly touched by this, she started to tear up, and she hugged me tighter this time.

"Yeah, yeah I did." I chuckled as I hugged back.

Espeon woke up, and her and Buizel just snickered at us.

"Kate! Mission Clear!" Barlow grinned, punching the air with his fist.

Kate giggled, and us Rangers started to head back to the base.

I was terrified... When everyone thought Kate didn't make it... My heart stopped. I realized something when I thought of Kate possibly being killed in the crash. I don't like Kate.

...

I love her.

...

I... I love Kate.

* * *

**EXTRA LONG CHAPTER! Does this make up for my lack of updates...? No? Darn it... Well, I finished writing one of my other books last week and I'm so proud of myself; so I'm now working on editing that. And then there's this book which I'm working on finishing, and then I'll go back and fix all the horrid mistakes. I am so sorry about those O_O again, I write on my phone, so I have a really bad auto correct, so forgive me. And it keeps correcting words I spell right to completely different things; like pudding. WHY WOULD I HAVE WRITTEN THE WORD PUDDING IN THAT ONE SCENE?! It doesn't even make sense! GAH... Anyways, just ignore the mistakes for now. I'll get around to fixing those after posting the epilogue; chapter 34. Well, that's all for now!**

**Read, review, and enjoy!**


	20. Chapter 20: Together Again

**(Kate's POV)**

After a few days of spending time together, sadly... Keith had to go back to Fiore. I was sad all of last night until someone came to visit me at the Ranger Base.

* * *

**~Flashback to Last Night~**

_I dropped my jaw in shock. "Chairperson Erma!? What're you doing here? Don't get me wrong! It's an honor to have you come see me, but..."_

_She cut me off. "Calm down, my child. I have some excellent news for you." She laughed, shaking her head a little._

_"Y-Yes?" I squeaked, nervous now._

_"You've been promoted to a Top Ranger. You're number eleven out of the fourteen Top Rangers in the entire world, Kate Hitomi." She smirked, and my jaw dropped again._

_"Shuuuuuuuuuuttttttt your face!" I nervously laughed, slapping my forehead._

_Chairperson Erma just chuckled at this. "Congratulations, you are to report to the Ranger Union HQ tomorrow morning for work."_

_"Y-Yes ma'am!" I stuttered. Holy Arceus. Did that really just happen?_

* * *

**~Back to Present Day~**

"Well, we can laugh or cry about it, but from today...Kate is a Top Ranger. It makes me sad to see Kate leave us for the Ranger Union; but as the leader here, it also fills me with pride. If I had to put it simply... This is truly a cause for celebration! That's all!" Barlow raised his glass, clearly holding back tears.

"So... You're off to the Ranger Union today..." Elaine sighed, staring down at the floor. "I hate to see you go, though, Kate. When you joined, our team turned into a really decent one..." Elaine flashed me a sad smile, making me tear up.

I was smiling at her words. "Thanks, Elaine." I sniffled, wiping at my eyes.

"My Mom wanted me to pass along her congratulations..." Ollie spoke up, grinning a little bit.

"Take care of your girlfriend for me, Ollie!" I teased him with a wink; Ollie and Elaine just blushed and continued to hold hands.

"Who's crying on a day like this?" Barlow sniffled, wiping at his eyes. "I don't care what anyone says, this is a great cause for celebration. Come on, we'll have one last toast with another glass of milk!" Barlow grinned, raising his glass...again...

"That Barlow..." Big Bertha groaned, facepalming. "That was the ninth toast he made." She shook her head, smiling. "But eat up, eat up! There's plenty of milk pudding!" She ushered us to eat more, passing out more milk pudding.

I just sweatdropped. "Despite being a very tough guy, he's the most emotional out of all of us..." Big Bertha and I both laughed, knowing it was so very true.

"Kate, you should get going." Luana frowned. "You'll be late if you don't." Luana suggested, hugging me one last time.

"I know... Bye, guys!" I flashed them a sad smile, breaking away from Luana. "Before I go, I just want to say...thank you for everything. Teaching me to be a Ranger, being my friends, how to make bad jokes..." I just looked at Crawford at that last part, and everyone laughed. "And most importantly, being my family." I smiled, looking over at everyone.

"Aww! Love you too, Kate! We'll miss you!" Luana hugged me again, touched by my speech.

Barlow's lip quivered. "I'll miss you too... You always felt like a daughter to me, Kate. That's why I've always been so overprotective of you... Eheh... Sorry!" Barlow just sweatdropped, causing us all to laugh. "We'll all miss you so much, have fun being a Top Ranger and stay safe!" Barlow patted me on the head, wearing a heart warming smile.

"Goodbye, Kate. Please stop by every so often!" Anna smiled, waving good-bye to me.

I leaned in to whisper something to her. "I will, but before I go... Let's do one last thing... Mutter... Mutter..." I whispered something to Anna; she smirked and crept behind Luana; who didn't seem to notice.

Anna got down on all fours, and I pushed Luana over her. "TABLE TOP! Crawford, catch your girlfriend!" I yelled teasingly at the two wannabee-lovebirds.

"Huh...? OOF!" Crawford started to say as Luana fell backwards into him, and they both crashed onto the floor.

**BAM!**

Everyone just died laughing.

"I'M NOT HIS GIRLFRIEND, KATE! ENOUGH OF ALL THIS TEASING!" Luana yelled at me, and Crawford helped her up.

"Well... Uh... Is it really such a bad thing...?" Crawford nervously asked, looking a little hurt by her words.

"Wait...HUH?" Luana snapped her eyes wide open and turned to him.

"Well... I... Erm..." Crawford stuttered, trailing off. "I sorta like you, Luana... And I know that we're partners and all... But..." He started to confess, super nervous now.

Luana's jaw dropped. The moment she's been waiting for is finally here! "Wait... You like me, too!?" Luana stared at Crawford, still astonished.

"Wait... Too?" Crawford smirked, staring down at the shorter Ranger girl. "Luana, is there something you're not telling me?" Crawford asked, starting to regain his confidence.

You could practically see that Luana was mentally cursing herself for that slip up. "Oh! Well I... Erm... It's just that I..." She started to make up an excuse, but she was cut off by Crawford kissing her...on the lips...

"I like you too, Luana..." Crawford hugged her and smiled, ignoring how red Luana's face was.

Luana was blushing furiously as we were all watching this.

"IT'S ABOUT TIME!" I impatiently whined, and we all busted out laughing and congratulated the new couple.

Anna just sighed in annoyance. "Dang it... You were right, Kate... Here's your 50 poke dollars." Anna slapped the money in my outstretched palm.

"Wait...WHAT?" Luana asked, wearing a glare that was directed at me.

"Haha... Well..." I sweatdropped. "I sorta bet Anna that I could get you guys together before the end of the year..." I admitted sheepishly, and Luana charged at me with a flamethrower.

Where the heck did she...? I don't wanna know.

"LUANA! PUT DOWN THE FLAMETHROWER!" Crawford restrained his new girlfriend and Elaine confiscated the flamethrower.

I just sweatdropped again. I'm going to miss everyone so much... "Ok, well now's probably a good time to go... Bye guys!" I took off running out of the Ranger Base, not looking back. Because I know that if I did...I'd only be more sad than I already am now.

"BYE KATE!" Everyone waved good-bye to me one last time.

I let out a depressed sigh, wiping a tear from my eye. Why does this feel so painful? Like I'm leaving my family behind...? "C'mon, Espeon." I directed my attention over to the stupid cat. "Let's go to the Ranger Union." I suggested, looking up into the blue sky. Come on, Kate! Cheer up! You're a Top Ranger now! Dad would be so proud...

_"Want me to teleport you there?"_ She asked me, wearing a devious smirk that I didn't notice at the time.

"Sure! Why not?" I shrugged my shoulders, having no problem with this arrangement at all.

**FLASH!**

* * *

**(Keith's POV)**

"Effective immediately, the Ranger Union certifies you to the position of Top Ranger. You are hereby recognized as the twelfth and one of only fourteen chosen Top Rangers around the world. The peace of the Almia region is under growing threat. We must have your help." Chairperson Erma slightly bowed her head to me, finishing her speech.

I turned and looked to see Professor Hastings stride through the electric sliding door, the clicks of his cane hitting the ground echoed throughout the Conference Room. "I'm afraid that Top Ranger Eleven is running a tad late, just Voicemailed me a few minutes ago. The send off party went overtime." Professor Hastings explained to Chairperson Erma, taking his place on the floor next to her.

"That's quite alright." Chairperson Erma shrugged it off. "I'm sure Keith won't mind waiting a little longer to meet his new Ranger Partner." She told him.

New Ranger Partner? Oh, right... Hmm. I guess I'm paired with Top Ranger Eleven, whoever THAT is.

**FLASH!**

"WHOA!"

**BAM!**

"GODDAMMIT ESPEON YOU COULDN'T HAVE TELEPORTED ME CLOSER TO THE GROUND?!"

_"Whoops... That totally was an accident."_

I just raised an eyebrow and turned to where that crashing noise came from, and I could make out the figure of a person. It was too dark to see their face, though. The person came over and stood next to me, and I just turned around again to look over at Professor Hastings and Chairperson Erma.

"Sorry I'm late!" The person apologized. "I had Espeon teleport me over as soon as possible!" A familiar voice told Chairperson Erma.

"That's quite alright... Pffft!" Erma slapped a hand over her mouth, trying to smother her laughter. "Hastings, they still haven't noticed..." Erma snickered to Hastings.

Wait what?

"Pffft, I know..." Hastings snickered, shaking his head. "Top Ranger Twelve, meet your new partner; Top Ranger Eleven." He grabbed both of our shoulders and turned us around to face each other right as Chairperson Erma flicked on the rest of the lights.

Wait a minute...

"KEITH?!" Kate dropped her jaw, staring up at me in shock.

"KATE?!" My eyes widened in surprise, and a delighted grin quickly stretched across my face.

"Oh my gosh!" We both cried out in unison, quickly hugging each other.

I got promoted to a Top Ranger AND I get to be partners with the girl I love? Could this day get any better?

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Hastings and Erma both laughed, leaning on each other for support.

"Caught you off your guard, did we?" Hastings smirked, raising an eyebrow. "To punish the so-called Team Dim Sun, we needed more Top Rangers. That's why we chose you two youngsters and Top Rangers Thirteen and Fourteen. It's a major promotion, born from an inspiration shared by Erma and me. If things don't work out, it will solely be our responsibility to bear. You two are free to do as you wish, without restraint. I present you with the symbol of Top Rangers: the Fine Styler!" Hastings told us, handing us our new Stylers.

"Woah! A Fine Styler?" I stared at it in shock, marveling over the super cool Fine Styler. "Awesome!"

"Your dorm room is number 12; Top Rangers Thirteen and Fourteen should be in their dorm right now if you wish to go meet them, it's number 13. After you all get introduced, meet us in the third floor's Operation Room so we can introduce all four of you to your new assigned Operators." Erma explained, she and Hastings then left the Conference Room, leaving just Kate and I.

"This is amazing!" Kate jumped up and down out of excitement and pure joy, she was full of boundless energy. "I can't believe we're Top Rangers together!" Kate shrieked and tackled me into a hug.

**BAM!**

"Oww..." I mumbled, rubbing the back of my head.

"Sorry!" Kate flashed me a sheepish grin. "I just got super excited!" Kate sweatdropped and quickly helped me up.

"It's alright, I'm just as excited as you are!" I chuckled, ruffling her hair and messing up her pigtails. She playfully whacked my arm, then fixed her hair. "Shall we?" I asked as I held out my arm to her.

"We shall." She giggled, and we locked arms and started to make our way over to our room. Wait... Our room? Right... We're partners now, so we'll share a room... Eheh... Great.

Arceus help me...

* * *

**(Kate's POV)**

We easily found our room and walked in; it was huge! It was a large bedroom with two beds, one on the left and one on the right side. There was a giant sliding glass door on the back wall that led out to a balcony. On the right side was a bathroom. I claimed the bed on the right, and Keith took the left one. We both started to unpack our bags.

I went ahead and put my clothes into my new dresser and put my alarm clock on my nightstand. I unpacked Espeon's bed and placed it at the foot of mine. I took out a framed picture of my Dad and I on graduation day and placed it next to my clock. And then something tackled me to the floor. Wait what?

**BAM!**

I landed flat on my back, slightly knocking the wind out of me. "Umm... I'm gonna go with... OW!" I sassed, looking up at Buizel who was on top of me, nuzzling my face.

Buizel just shrieked in delight, wrapping his little orange otter arms tightly around my neck. _"OH MY GOSH, KATE! I'VE MISSED YOU SO MUCH! I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOUUUUU!"_ I just laughed and hugged him, sitting up from the floor.

Keith was just smiling at me and his partner, seeing us get along so well.

"I love you too, Buizel!" I giggled, ruffling the fur on top of his head. "I've missed you, too... But... I know of someone who's missed you even more." I raised an eyebrow and smirked at Espeon.

_"Oh really now...?"_ Buizel jumped out of my arms and onto my bed where Espeon was.

She blushed furiously. _"Oh... I uh... I don't know..."_ She stuttered as Buizel's grin just got wider and wider.

"Let's leave those two lovebirds alone and go meet up with the other Two Top Rangers." Keith suggested with a smirk and helped me up.

I saw an idea pop into his head, and then he deviously smirked down at me. Uh oh. "Keith... Don't. Don't you... No! Stop! Keith, NO!" I started to panic as he quickly picked me up bridal style, carrying me out of our room and over to dorm number 13. "Keith! Put me down!" I ordered. He just laughed as he knocked on the door.

"Oh c'mon, don't pretend you don't like it!" He teased, and I just got even angrier. UGH! Stupid idiot... I kept kicking and thrashing in his grip as the door swung open.

**WHOOSH!**

"Kellyn, I swear to Arceus if you don't put me down right now I'll... Huh? KATE?! KEITH?! YOU GUYS ARE THE OTHER TWO TOP RANGERS?!"

Huh? I looked at the door to see Kellyn holding Juliette bridal style. Guess he and Keith think alike... Wait a minute. "Guys?!" I stared at them in shock, just now processing it. "Oh my gosh, guys!" The boys both put us down and Juliette hugged me tightly.

"KATE!" Juliette shrieked, grinning at me brightly. "I HAVE MISSED YOU SO MUCH!" Juliette yelled, starting to choke me. ACK! Going...towards...the light! "EEP!" Juliette suddenly shrieked and fell to the floor.

Huh? I looked up to see Kellyn there with his hand where Juliette's side was a moment ago. Huh, I guess he poked her in the side with his fingertips.

"Looks like you found Juliette's pressure point, huh?" Keith asked, laughing and shaking his head in amusement.

"Yep, comes in handy when Juliette goes all psycho like tha..." Kellyn started to say, but was quickly cut off by... Well, none other than Juliette herself.

**SLAP!**

"OW!" Kellyn's hand flew up to his red cheek in an instant. "JULIETTE! NOT MY FACE!" Kellyn screamed like a little girl. Well it looks like my brother hasn't changed much... Scratch that, he hasn't changed at all. Well, maybe his hairstyle got a little more ridiculous... But other than that, he's just the same old Kellyn.

Juliette had slapped Kellyn right across the face for that "psycho" comment. Go Juliette!

Kellyn just pouted and rubbed his cheek, and Juliette stuck her tongue out at him. Seeing that he was getting no where with this, he turned around to face us and changed the subject. "Keith, I hope you have been treating my sister well in my absence." Kellyn smirked.

Keith just stared at Kellyn for a solid five minutes, trying to process what he had just said. You could see that the wheel inside his head was turning, but the hamster was dead. "W-wha... WE'RE NOT A COUPLE!" Keith yelled, finally processing what he was being accused of. I just facepalmed.

"Sure, sure." Juliette rolled her eyes, then let out an annoyed sigh. "When are you two going to confess your undying love for each other already?! Just waiting for it to happen is getting annoying!" Juliette impatiently added.

Keith and I just looked at each other, blushed, and quickly turned away. Awkward... "As soon as you kiss Kellyn!" I recovered from my embarrassment and snickered at Juliette. "It's obvious you two are into each other. No, really. Your infatuated stares are gross; get a room." I was barely holding back my laughter at this point. Barely.

Kellyn and Juliette both just dropped their jaws, and their faces flushed a deep shade of red. "KATE!" They both yelled in embarrassment, and Keith and I both just laughed.

I just rolled my eyes. "C'mon! Let's go meet up with Chairperson Erma in the Operation Room!" I grabbed Keith's hand and took off down the hallway, running up the escalator.

"HEY! WAIT UP!" Juliette cried out, chasing after us with Kellyn close behind.

"Why does everyone assume that we're a couple...?" Keith wondered out loud, not making eye contact with me.

"If only I knew..." I giggled as we arrived at the third floor, and Kellyn and Juliette weren't that far behind. The four of us spotted Chairperson Erma standing in the middle of the floor, and we lined up in front of her.

"The Operators here can be considered Top Operators." Chairperson Erma began. "They do tend to chatter too much, however." She chuckled, then looked over her shoulder and snapped her fingers. "Ok, people, let's not be rude. Introduce yourselves to our new faces."

A bluenette Operator in pigtails practically leapt out of her chair and approached us. "Hi. I'm Linda, nice to meet you. I don't think I'm really chatty, but I'm sure not the silent type." Linda introduced herself.

Chairperson Erma cleared her throat, then pointed to Linda. "Kellyn, Juliette; Linda here is your new assigned Operator." Erma explained, looking over at the brunette and black-haired Ranger duo.

Another Operator came and stood next to Linda. He was a guy with short brown hair, dressed in the boys Operator's Uniform. "Hi, I'm Marcus. You don't need to learn my name, though. I mean, it's not as if you don't have enough to memorize already." He introduced himself.

A perky looking blonde Operator walked up to us and stood on the other side of Linda. "And this is your Operator, Kate and Keith." Erma pointed to her as the blonde began to introduce herself.

"Hi, my name is Rhythimi. I haven't been here very long because I only graduated eight or so months ago, and...! Wait... GUYS?!" Rhyth shouted in complete shock, staring at us wide-eyed.

"RHYTH?!" All four of us yelled in unison, running up and hugging our Operator friend to death.

Chairperson Erma just laughed. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you, but you five being here is no coincidence. We were informed about your group of friends from Ms. April of the Ranger School. You pledged to make your dreams come true in Ascension Square. The fact that all five of you held onto those dreams brought you here." We all smiled at Chairperson Erma, and she slightly bowed her head to us. "One last thing: Top Rangers have the right to assign missions to themselves. Rely on your experience, believe in your instincts, and know who you are helping. You are responsible for your own actions. Top Rangers do not answer to a Leader. Of course, don't hesitate to approach your seniors for advice... That said, the senior Top Rangers are in the field now. They are investigating far and wide to solve the mystery of the Dark Stone." Erma told us. "You all are dismissed and may have the rest of the night off to get acquainted with each other and your new workplace. That is all." Erma dismissed us, waving us off.

We all turned in to our rooms for the night, it had been a long day. When Keith and I entered our room, Espeon and Buizel were nowhere to be found. It looks like those two left to catch up on their own. I just smirked to myself at that. I kicked off my boots at the door and took of my Styler, and Keith did the same.

"Soo... Kate?" Keith spoke up as we both plopped onto our beds, just now sitting down for the first time today.

"Yeah, Keith?" I asked, turning my head to look at him. I was laying flat on my back with my arms resting behind my head.

"Erm... I was wondering... If..." Keith rambled, and his mumbling quickly became inaudible.

"If what?" I inquired, turning on my side to face him.

Keith turned in his bed to face me, as well. "If you wanted to patrol together tomorrow...? I figured it could give us time to catch up with each other and work on our teamwork skills before we get assigned on a real mission of some sort..." Keith nervously asked, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.

Why would he be nervous about asking to spend time with me...? Wait. Was Espeon... Maybe... Right? Does... Does Keith love me? What?! No! Of course not! I'm just getting my hopes up. Besides, it wouldn't work out... Trust is the most important thing in a relationship, and if I told him the truth about me... He'd...

He'd run away.

"Sure, Keith! I'd love to!" I smiled and got under the covers, and he did the same. Yeah, I'm too tired for getting up and changing into pajamas. I just slipped off my jacket and un-did my pigtails, getting comfortable in the under layer of my uniform. They're comfy enough, anyways.

"Erm... Right." Keith sweatdropped, reaching up to turn off the lamp on his nightstand. "Well, uh... See yah in the morning!" Keith stammered, flicking off the light.

"Goodnight, Keith!"

"Night, Kate."

And with that, I closed my eyes and tried to fall asleep. But, I can't help but wonder...

Why has Keith been so nervous around me lately?

* * *

***eye twitch* soooo... Tired... And so much... Homework... Gah x_x *falls out of desk chair and collapses onto floor*  
**

**...**

**Yeah that's it. I've got nothing. XD... Sorry, I'm too tired to write a proper authors note. Next update: no idea. Swamped with homework and studying for tests! Yayyyy... I hate high school.**

**Read, review, and enjoy!**


	21. Chapter 21: Lady of the Light

**(Lucario's POV)**

Legend has it that one day...darkness will try to rise to power in the world and take full control of it. After hearing this prophecy from Mewtwo, Arceus created a hero that was destined to defeat the darkness time after time.

He created a super being; a girl.

She was to be born into the world when she was needed the most to help fight the darkness. Which was fifteen, almost sixteen years ago.

He created a girl known as Arceus' daughter. Or as the legends call her, the Lady of the Light.

Arceus told one Pokemon about the Lady of the Light so that he could become her protector, and so he could also get the word out to a chosen few that there is a warrior being of light to fight the darkness. And that Pokemon was a Lucario; me, more specifically.

The only stories or records of the girl recorded by mankind say that she is the Lady of the Light, and that she will have brown hair and sparkling sapphire blue eyes whenever Arceus chooses for her to be born into the world. That is, if anyone believes this ancient folklore. To most, this is just a legend; a bedtime story. But it is Pokemon like me who know the truth.

She will have the power to talk to, understand, and bond with Pokemon with ease. She has powers similar to her guardian, Lucario (me) She can summon aura spheres and communicate with telepathy. Her eyes flash white when she creates these aura spheres.

Arceus gave her a birthmark that only he and I know about, it's so we can recognize her when she's born. It resembles the rings that surround Arceus and has been imprinted on the back of her neck.

The prophecy foresees that one day, the darkness will rise to power, and the Lady of the Light will be the one to stop it. She is destined for greatness.

But she is just like any other human; she will live, and one day she will die.

She has a strong willed personality which causes her to put others before herself. She has a deep love for Pokemon, and will protect them at any cost. Even if that cost is her life.

She is the perfect being.

I had met her once, a long time ago, in the Fiore region. She was about seven years old at the time. That was when I had told her about the prophecy and how she was, in fact, the Lady of the Light.

* * *

**~Flashback to 8 Years Ago~**

_"Oh my gosh! Are you ok, Mr. Pokemon I've never seen before?!" A little girl came running up to me. I had been shot in the arm by a poacher who fled when this little girl came along._

_I just snarled at her. All humans are terrible, like my previous trainer... *shudder* Terrible, terrible man..._

_"Here, let me help you." She she reached for my wound. I slashed at her arm with the spike on my paw in defense._

_She just shook it off as if it was nothing. What? I don't understand... I cut her, and she was bleeding, but she seemed unaffected...? What?_

_"I don't have anything on me to heal you, but if you come with me I can take you home and my Daddy will help you! He's a Ranger, so you can trust him!" She smiled and stood up, holding out her hand to me to help me up._

_That gash on her arm is bleeding furiously, it has to hurt a lot... So why is she only worried about me?_

_I looked her up and down, staring at her in shock. I cautiously grabbed her hand, and the little girl helped me up._

_"My name is Katellina Hitomi, but you can just call me Katie! That's what my family calls me, anyways!" She grinned and shook my paw, still ignoring the gash on her arm. What a tough seven year old..._

_"I'm... I'm Lucario..." I hesitantly introduced myself with a confused look. She instantly picked up on this._

_"It's nice to meet you, Lucario! ...You've been abused before, haven't you? And... This is your first time meeting a nice human, isn't it?" She curiously asked with sad teary eyes, looking up at me._

_I flinched. "H-how did you..." I stammered, but she... But Katellina cut me off._

_"I'm assuming you want to know how I can talk to and understand you, and also how I knew about your past." She tilted her head to the side, wearing a thoughtful look. "Ok, for one: I was raised by Pokemon practically, so I can talk to and understand them. And I know about your past only because I've been studying your reactions to the things I say and do." She quickly hugged me. "I'm sorry about your past, but don't worry! I'll be your friend! And I promise to always be nice to you!" She started to tear up, sniffling a little bit._

_I smiled (for the first time in my life) and looked down at the crying girl hugging me... Wait... T-That mark? On her neck... It's... It's...!_

_"Arceus, thanks for the message. My mission begins now; I will protect your daughter from now on and to the very end." I sent the message to Arceus via telepathy._

_"Thank you, Lucario. You have always been the most loyal companion." He replied, also via telepathy._

_"Could you take me to your Dad, Lady Katellina? My arm is really starting to sting..." I looked over at the gunshot wound on my right arm, noticing it was still bleeding and very swollen._

_"Of course!" Katellina let go of me, then stared up into my eyes. "Lady Katellina?" She giggled at the proper name I addressed her with. "Let's go, Lucario!" She cheerfully grabbed my paw and began leading me out of the Lyra Forest._

_Perhaps there are such things as nice humans with good intentions..._

* * *

**~Back to Present Day~**

The Lady of the Light, her name...

Katellina Hitomi.

* * *

**(Kate's POV)**

"I never noticed this before, but, what's that mark on the back of your neck?" Keith asked as he poked it.

"Keith, don't poke me! It's just a birth mark." I irritatedly retorted, slapping his hand away.

"Ok!" Keith threw his hands up in defense. "Jheeze, you don't have to go all grouchy on me. Didn't sleep much or something?" He asked, looking over at me.

I was walking a little further ahead of him, so I didn't turn to look at him. "I'm fine." I said with no emotion, keeping my eyes looking straight.

I just have to focus on our mission, find Sven in the Chroma Highlands/Ruins, and meet up with him to help get rid of the Dim Sun Minions that he reported were everywhere inside of the ruins.

Earlier today, Chairperson Erma sent Keith and I to the Chroma Highlands to act as Sven's back up because he spotted a bunch of Team Dim Sun Minions there when he was chasing a lead on the Dark Stone. Sven is apparently Wendy's Ranger Partner. We're on our way there now, it's located on the other side of Altru Park, so it's not much of a walk. We were approaching the Chroma Highlands, and we started to wakk through some black smog.

What is all of this stuff...?

* * *

**So we learn a key factor about Kate's past! Lady of the Light and future savior of the darkness. DUHN DUUHNNN DUUUUHHHNNN! Can't wait for the next chapter! It's on it's way, but... Homework takes priority, I'm afraid. Believe me, if I could work on this instead, I would. Well, I hope you guys enjoyed FINALLY learning Kate's secret! Sorry it was so short... **

**Read, review, and enjoy!**


	22. Chapter 22: First Mission as Top Rangers

**(Kate's POV)**

**MISSION 8: BE SVEN'S BACK-UP IN THE CHROMA RUINS!**

"What the heck is all of this stuff?!" I sputtered out the question, choking on an eerie dark mist that engulfed the entire surrounding area.

Keith opened his mouth to respond, but started coughing hoarsely. "I don't...COUGH!...know!" Keith was coughing furiously, trying to cover his mouth with his jacket sleeve.

I saw something out of the corner of my eye, and I turned my head to get a closer look. It was a shadow up ahead that looked like a human figure. I also spotted the silhouettes of three Murkrow spitting out dark mist, but it's kind of hard to tell in all of this stuff.

"With this much Dark Mist pumped out, no trespasser will get very far." The figure mumbled to himself; he sounded pretty amused with his work.

I just rolled my eyes, running up to him. "Well that sounds awful suspicious." I sassed the figure who started to become more clear. He was wearing a Dim Sun Uniform and had out a Miniremo. He nearly flipped it over in surprise when he heard my voice.

"Wah! Who goes there?!" The Dim Sun idiot began to freak out, looking around for the source of the voice. "I can't see your face, but I can do this!" He quickly turned back to his Miniremo, searching for the right buttons to push. "Send out Pokemon suitable for the dark! Ticka-ticka-tappa, and enter!" The Dim Sun goon typed in a command and sent the three Murkrow he had after me.

"CAPTURE ON!" I yelled, beginning my capture. It literally took less than ten seconds. Well...that was fast. Awkward. "CAPTURE COMPLETE!" I proudly did my Ranger Pose, wearing a broad grin on my face.

**BOOM!**

"Wow." Keith stared at me, blinking a few times in shock. "That was one heck of a capture... I see your skills have improved since Ranger School." Keith flashed me a bright grin that shined through the darkness, making me smile back at him.

"Thanks!" I winked back at my partner, making him laugh.

"You unseeable trespassers!" The Dim Sun moron muttered curses, kicking at the ground. "You're not getting away with this!" He quickly took off, running for the hills. Espeon and Buizel snickered at his cowardice, watching him run away further into the distance. That's it? He just ran away? Wow. These guys become even more "impressive" with each encounter...

All of a sudden, I began receiving an incoming Voicemail.

**-Voicemail! Voicemail!-**

"Kate! It's me, Hastings!" Professor Hastings' face popped up on my Styler screen, and Keith scooted closer to me so he could see as well. "We're getting abnormal signals from your Stylers, Kate and Keith. What seems to be the matter?" He asked.

"There's an eerie dark mist covering the Chroma Highlands, I suspect that's the origin of the strange signals." I answered his question, looking around at the black haze that surrounded every inch of this place.

"I see..." Hastings wore a thoughtful look, furrowing his brow. "It appears your Stylers are having to seek radio signals in that dark mist. I would imagine your Styler energy will drain quickly in the mist. Be sure to recharge your Stylers often, both of you!" Hastings ordered, then quickly ended the transmission.

**Click!**

Hmm... I'll have to take note of that.

"Let's keep going." Keith suggested, grabbing my hand and walking down whatever path we could see. Buizel ran ahead with Espeon, trying to find a way through this dark mist.

"Erm... Keith?" My face flushed, staring down at our intertwined hands. "Why are you..." I started to ask him why he was holding my hand, but he cut me off.

"Uh... It's so we don't get separated... In the dark mist, I mean..." He shook off my question, stammering a little bit. Well that was weird.

I took in a deep breath, trying to cool my face down. Don't let him see you blush don't let him see you blush don't let him see you blush... Wait. We're surrounded in a dark mist cloud, he can't see me even if he wanted to! Well this has its pros and cons.

I noticed up ahead that there was another Dim Sun Minion. He was pacing back and forth as if he was waiting for someone. We had caught up to our Partner Pokemon at this point, and Keith took his place in between them. I let go of Keith's hand and I walked up to the creep.

"Oh, hey. Good work with the mist." The Dim Sun idiot turned to me. "But, you know, it doesn't matter how thick we make the mist, right? All it takes is one Pokemon with a move for clearing the mist to blow it away. Is that true?..." I stayed quiet, and the guy grew suspicious. "Are you going to answer?" He asked, turning to face Keith and I. "Wait... Are you two...Rangers?!" He stammered, starting to back up into a rock wall.

I just laughed, practically dripping with sarcasm. "Why, yes I am! Thank you for noticing! And thanks for the tip on clearing the mist!" I walked up to the creep and pinned him against the wall with my arm across his chest, preventing him from getting away. He started to tremble with fear. Who could blame him? I could be pretty darn scary if I wanted to be. "Now, about the Pokemon with the Field Move De-Mist...WHERE ARE THEY." I stared right into his eyes, glaring at him intensely and pushing on his chest even harder, cutting off a little more of his air.

I could tell Keith was just smiling and shaking his head at me; I didn't even have to look. I heard Espeon and Buizel bust into a fit of laughter, boosting my confidence.

He trembled at the sight of the white flames in my eyes, shaking within my grasp. "T-They're o-over t-there...! Behind t-that wooden fence! P-Please d-don't hurt m-me!" He cringed, turning his head away from me as if to dodge a blow to the face.

"Oh, I won't!" I smirked, wearing an innocent look. I let go and made my eyes turn back to normal. "But.. I make no promises for my friend here." Keith walked up to the Dim Sun Minion. He grabbed the front of his shirt and held him up high in the air.

Well dang...was Keith strong, or what?

"So, what shall we do with you?" Keith asked the rhetorical question in a sinister way, smirking evilly at the Dim Sun Minion he had in his fist.

I just rolled my eyes, sighing a little. "Ok Keith, show's over. Let him go, he's not worth it. We need to clear this mist and meet up with Sven." I calmly placed my hand on his arm, looking up at his face.

He looked down at me with a blank look at first, but that facial expression quickly stretched into a broad smirk. "As you wish." He snickered, dropping the minion onto the floor.

**THUD!**

"OW!"

I just laughed and spun on my heel, heading towards the direction of the Pokemon I needed to clear this mist. I wasn't exactly paying attention to where I was going, which was probably a bad idea. I didn't even notice a figure moving within the shadows to keep up with me, getting ready to pounce.

Lucky for me, Keith spotted it before I even got a chance to. "KATE! LOOK OUT!" Keith yelled, shoving me to the cold hard floor.

OW! What the heck?! I was about to get up and dust myself off when I heard a scream.

"OW!"

Huh? I turned around on my hips to see a wild Carnivine attacking Keith, trying to bite at his face. Did he just push me out of the way and take the hit...for me? I sprang up from the floor and bounded over to Keith, placing my hand on the psycho Carnivine. It stopped biting Keith and turned to face me. I began using my internal aura to begin filtering out the Carnivine's violent one. Lucky for me, this didn't create anything for Keith to see. Phew...that would be hard to explain.

"Kate?! What're you doing?!" Keith panicked, staring at me with an angered and flustered look. Knowing Keith as much as I do, however, allowed me to see that was just a cover up for his underlying emotion; concern.

_"Stop. Leave him alone."_ I spoke to the Carnivine using my telepathic power of communication, staring right into its eyes. It seemed to understand and released its grip on Keith, fleeing the scene. "Keith? Are you ok?!" I knelt down next to him, placing my hand on the rock wall behind him for support. I couldn't see his injuries in this mist, but it couldn't be good.

"I'm fine, let's clear this mist already." Keith stubbornly refused my offer to help him up, weakly standing up on his own.

"Keith, are you sure..." I began trying to convince him to seek medical attention, but he stopped in his tracks and spun around to face me.

"I said I'm fine. And besides, what can we do? Go all the way back to the Union and abandon the mission? I don't think so." Keith turned on his heel and kept walking, slowly disappearing into the mist.

I sighed and looked down at our Partners, knowing full well he was right. I have part of a first aid kit on me, but it's not much, and I'd need to be able to see him to use it. And then I could also heal him myself, but... Not without Keith and Buizel finding out. I can't risk them finding out that I'm the Lady of the Light! If that happened, well... I'm not sure how Keith would react to me being a super human freak with powers AND knowing that I kept this from him this long. And also, Lucario told me not to tell anyone, and I'm keeping that promise I made to him. Espeon doesn't even know...

I shook my head and ran to catch up, Espeon and Buizel running close behind me. We made our way over to the small cave with the wooden fence the minion had described earlier, but there was someone standing in front of it.

"Were those the last of the Pokemon that can use the Field Move De-Mist?" The Dim Sun Minion turned to Keith and I, then froze in his tracks at the sight of us. "Wha...? Why, you... You're not on our side!" The Dim Sun Minion pointed to me, glaring angrily.

I just rolled my eyes, walking closer to him. "What else is new?" I sassed him. Not feeling like dealing with this guy's nonsense, I just punched him in the face. HARD.

**THUD!**

Apparently hard enough to knock him out... Whoops. Well, I'm completely fine with that.

"Ow..." I mumbled to myself, shaking my hand out. That didn't exactly feel great.

"Uh..." Keith just sweatdropped; he was standing a ways behind me with our Partner Pokemon. "We should probably get a Pokemon to do a target clear on the fence so that we can release those Pokemon, and..." Keith cut himself off as he watched me step closer to the fence, confused as to what I was doing. "Kate? What are you doing...?" Keith started to ask, raising an eyebrow. I just jumped into the air, spun around in a circle, and promptly kicked the fence in. Keith just sweatdropped. "Oh. Or you could just do that..." Keith mumbled under his breath.

All of a sudden, three gigantic birds of steel came rushing out. The Skarmory's let out a delighted cry and sprang into the air, soaring high up into the skies. Well, all except for one.

I cautiously approached the steel bird, holding my hand out to pet his forehead. "Excuse me, Skarmory? Could you please use De-Mist to clear away all of this mist for us?" I asked sweetly.

The Skarmory nodded, staring down into my blue eyes. I stared at him for a moment as if we were bonding without the need for a capture. It truly is a wonderful thing to be able to befriend Pokemon without the need for a Styler. But of course, to Keith...it just looked like I was having a staring contest with a bird. The Skarmory let out its cry, and he swiftly flew up high into the air. And a few seconds later...

**WHOOSH!**

The dark mist was cleared in an instant, being pushed back and away from the Chroma Highlands. The plain of grey and green was finally revealed, and I was now able to see around me. The rocky walls, the terrace-like ground, all of the plants and Pokemon... It's beautiful here.

"Alright, Keith. The mist is clear..." I started to say as I turned to face my partner, and a look of horror quickly plastered itself on my face. "KEITH! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU WERE INJURED THIS BAD?!" I scolded, running up to him.

He had a gash on his cheek, and there were several bite marks on his non-capturing arm from shielding himself from the Carnivine attack earlier. Everything was swollen and bleeding, and it looked excruciating. This is all my fault...

Keith just sweatdropped. "Eheh... Well I...didn't think it was important?" Keith said sheepishly, and my glare softened.

I just sighed, relaxing my shoulders. "Come here, idiot." I sat him down and pulled out the first aid kit I had on me. I poured a little Peroxide over the gash and bite marks, Keith winced as it stung. "Sorry..." I muttered as I got out some disinfectant, applying it to the cuts.

Keith just raised an eyebrow, wearing his signature confused look. "For what?" I placed gauze on his arm and began wrapping it in medical tape, also slipping in a little bit of Light Aura when he wasn't looking. Hopefully that will help it to heal faster...

"For always seeming to get into trouble and you having to save me..." I sighed, feeling down on myself. "If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have been attacked by that Carnivine..." I started to ramble on and on, and Keith just covered my mouth with his hand to get me to shut up.

Keith just rolled his eyes, then stared into my eyes sincerely. "Kate, I'm your partner. It's my job to look after you. Plus, you know I'm always going to be there to save you." Keith smiled as I tilted my head to the side, and my gaze softened upon looking at those green eyes.

I put a bandage on his cheek, snapping out of it. There, finished. Hopefully he didn't notice that tiny flash of light that went from my palm to the cut on his cheek. I don't think he noticed! Phew...

I still had a guilty look on my face, though. Keith picked up on this, helped me up, and pulled me into a hug. "It's alright, Kate. You should know by now that I'd do anything to protect you..." I started to tear up.

Why is he saying these things?! Is he trying to tease me? The fact that he DOESN'T like me back makes those words hurt even more, because I know that it will never happen... No! I will NOT cry in front of Keith!

I quickly pulled myself together and pulled away from Keith, turning away to face a staircase. "Erm...we should keep going..." I ran a hand through my hair and walked up the stairs, being careful not to mess up my pigtails.

Keith wasn't that far behind. As I reached the top of the stairs, there was a giant square slab of stone and...yeah. That was it. Hmm...

"If it's a dead-end here... Then where's Sven?" Keith looked around in a confused manner, looking like a complete idiot spinning around in circles like that. Baka...

Suddenly, I felt a draft coming from underneath the stone slab. Wait a minute... "Espeon, Psychic." I calmly ordered her, pointing down at the stone slab. She used Psychic to push the stone slab back, revealing a hidden staircase leading downwards. Found the Chroma Ruins... I headed down the staircase with Espeon, and Keith and Buizel followed closely behind. If Sven went down this way earlier, then how did that stone slab get there? And why do I feel like we're being...watched.

"Focus on the task at hand, Kate." I whispered to myself, shaking my head to try and re-focus my thoughts. I carefully walked down the stone steps, being careful not to trip down the steep staircase. The sounds of water dripping from the ceiling echoed throughout the Chroma Ruins, making this place feel even more creepy than it was to start with. It just got darker and darker as we went further down. When we got to the bottom, I saw a hole in the ceiling. "Looks like it leads to another level." I wondered out loud, pointing up at it.

Keith found and captured a Drifblim, walking back over to me. "Well let's go see what's up there, shall we?" Keith smirked, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me into him.

"Eep!" I squeaked, caught of guard.

Keith just laughed as he grabbed ahold of the Drifblim's tentacle, and it began levitating us up and through the hole in the ceiling. When we got to the top, Keith let go of the Drifblim and we jumped back to the ground.

"Erm... Keith?"

"Yeah?"

"You can let go of me now..." I smirked and raised an eyebrow at him.

He looked down to notice he was still holding me. Keith jerked his hand off me and placed it behind his head, sweatdropping as his face flushed.

"Eheh... Erm, sorry!" He sheepishly apologized, nervously laughing a little.

I just laughed, as did Espeon and Buizel. I spun around and continued to wander around the Chroma Ruins looking for Sven. Keith and I continued to jump down through holes in the ground, explore floors, capture more Drifblim, and have them take us up more floors as we continued to wander about in the darkness.

As we were walking down a corridor, I noticed a rather handsome Ranger dressed kind of like a cowboy. He had a Luxray with him. He was standing out of sight from the next room over, trying to be quiet and not be seen.

"I take it that you're Sven?" I pointed a finger in his direction and walked up to him. Keith was following close behind, making sure not to leave my side.

"Yes, I am. And you two must be my back up...Oh? Why, hello there." Sven smirked and walked up to me. He grabbed my chin and pushed it up to make me look him in the eyes. "And who might you be?" He spoke in a charming tone as he raised an eyebrow. I could see Keith out of the corner of my eye, and he was really ticked off.

"Kate. My name is Kate." I smirked and crossed my arms, also raising an eyebrow. From the looks of this guy, if you looked past the fact that he's a major flirt, you would know that he seems like the calm, respectable, and dependable type of guy. I see why he's Wendy's partner.

Sven let go of me and grinned. "The name's Sven, and this is my partner, Luxray." He introduced himself and his partner. "He's not exactly the friendly type, though." He warned us, looking over at his Luxray.

Not friendly? Challenge accepted. I walked up to his Luxray and began petting him. The Luxray seemed to enjoy the attention and nuzzled my side. I just giggled. "Well he sure seems to be the friendly type to me..." I laughed, causing Sven to turn around and look at me.

Sven's jaw was on the floor. "Well, well. Looks like you not only are cute, but you have a way with Pokemon, too." Sven smirked as he crossed his arms.

"Back off, you flirt!" Keith scolded him, glaring a thousand daggers in his direction. Keith looked about as ticked off as a Skitty who just fell into a bathtub.

Haha! I like Sven. Sure, he's a flirt, but overall he seems like a cool guy. I look forward to working with this Ranger again, and I'm sure I will.

"Shh! Be quiet!" Sven slapped his hand over Keith's mouth, only making the red-head even angrier and annoyed. "Don't let them hear you!" Sven ushered us to look around the corner.

There were eight Dim Sun Minions harvesting Dark Stones left and right. ...they were collecting rare stones for a profit? These creeps just keep getting better and better.

"We need to find a way to get rid of these guys so we can continue; that's why I requested back up. But, we're still outnumbered..." Sven said thoughtfully, trying to come up with a new plan.

"Seriously...? That's all you needed?" I just gave Sven an _'are you kidding me?' _look, shaking my head. "Why didn't you just say so before?" I pushed the two boys out of my way and began to round the corner. "And numbers aren't of any concern." I looked over my shoulder with confidence, smirking at the two boys behind me.

"Kate! Wai..." Keith tried to get me to come back, but Sven slapped his hand over his mouth...again.

"Shh, I want to see this." The two boys peered around the corner with utmost curiosity, watching what I was about to do.

I cracked my knuckles as I walked into the circle of Dim Sun Morons.

Oh THIS is going to be fun.

* * *

**(Keith's POV)**

"Hello, boys." Kate sang teasingly as she entered the circle of Dim Sun Minions.

"Who's the hot chick?" One of them asked, staring at her with a confused look.

Another one slapped his forehead in shock. "Oh crap! She's a Ranger!"

"Hah! On your lonesome, I see?" One of them sneered, stepping a little closer in a threatening manner.

A different minion just scoffed. "Eight against one pathetic little Ranger girl? What kind of joke is thi..."

**SMACK!**

**THUD!**

Kate punched the guy straight in the jaw, knee'd him in the gut, and came down hard on his back with her elbow. He went out like a light. She turned back to the rest of the guys. "Now, who's next?" She smirked as they began charging at her.

"Get her!" One of them yelled.

**SMACK!**

**PUNCH!**

**THUD!**

**CRASH!**

**BANG!**

**THUD!**

**SMACK!**

**BAM!**

And like that, Kate took on four guys at once, throwing punches and kicks and knocking them out one by one. Another minion charged at her, reaching for her fists, but she reacted quicker. Kate grabbed his wrists and launched him over her head and into the wall. Another guy came up from behind her, trying to be sneaky, but she threw her fist up next to her head without turning around and punched the guy right in the nose.

**BAM!**

**CRASH!**

The two guys went down way too easy...

Dang, Kate... Sometimes I forget she has martial arts training. How do you forget something like that? No idea...

"And then there was one." Kate smirked as she turned to face the last guy who was shaking in a corner. He had a look of horror in his eyes. Who could blame him? Kate just took out seven guys in under two minutes...

She cartwheeled, jumped up, and kicked him straight in the head.

**BAM!**

Kate just stood up in the circle of eight unconscious guys and turned to face us. She smiled and skipped back to us.

"Okie dokie! All taken care of!" She smiled innocently, staring up at us with innocent angel eyes.

Me and Sven's jaws were on the floor.

And this, children, is why we don't make Kate mad. Or try to steal her poptarts. Don't ask...just dont... *sweatdrop*

"Uh... Right! Let's keep going!" I snapped out of it, hitting Sven in the back of the head to do the same for him.

Sven quickly snapped his eyes open, shaking his head a little. "Yeah! What read-head said!" He blinked a few times, snapping out of his trance.

"Ok!" Kate turned around, got a running start, and did a front hand-spring into the hole in the ground.

Sven and I just sweatdropped...again. "How the hell does she...?" Sven started to ask, but I cut him off.

"Martial arts training... Lots of martial arts training..." I shook my head up and down absent-mindedly, staring at the spot where Kate used to be a moment ago. "As for the cartwheels and flips she does, I have no idea..." I sweatdropped.

"Well, either way...that's one hell of a woman you've got." Sven awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Good luck, dude." Sven laughed and shook his head as he hit me on the back, jumping down the hole after Kate.

I couldn't agree more... I followed the crowd and jumped down the hole, too. Sven and Kate were right there when I landed, waiting for me to catch up. All three of us walked down a straightforward corridor until we entered a room with five odd looking stones. They were placed in the room like the number five on a dice.

"What's with all of these...?" I asked, about to step forward and pick one of them up.

Kate's eyes widened. "Everyone, STOP." Kate ordered as she held her arms out in both directions, stopping both Sven and I from walking any further. "Those aren't just rocks... They're keystones, as in a Spiritomb's domain." Kate warned us, staring at the keystones with a skeptical look.

_"I'm impressed... Not many recognize this trap."_ An eerie voice echoed throughout our minds, sending shivers down our spines.

All of a sudden, a Spiritomb emerged from the middle keystone. Spiritomb are said to be an evil Ghost-type Pokemon conjured from 108 spirits. They're VERY territorial. They usually protect things, and that just makes me wonder even more what was behind the door the Pokemon was guarding.

"Yeah, well. I'm not just anyone. I'm a Pokemon Ranger." Kate grinned, brimming with confidence. I could understand what the Spiritomb was saying.

I still don't know why I can talk to Pokemon, just can. It's probably from being around Kate so long, you pick up on these things. I told Sven about how Kate could talk to Pokemon. He just nodded in understanding and watched the conversation going on between Kate and the Spiritomb.

"I can see that..." The Spiritomb looked her up and down warily. "But...being a Pokemon Ranger is not your only title, now, is it?" The Spiritomb began shifting from keystone to keystone.

Kate flinched and went wide-eyed. Huh? What's he talking about? "H-How did you..." Kate stammered, on her guard now.

"Lucario's an old friend of mine." The Spiritomb smirked, and the atmosphere of the room suddenly became less tense. "Light bearer, you may proceed. Your friends may pass, too." The Spiritomb nodded in approval as it disappeared.

What the heck was that all about..?

"C-C'mon guys... Let's go!" Kate stuttered at first, but then quickly recovered and ran ahead with Sven. I slowly walked behind them.

Lucario? Light bearer? Greater title? What was that all about... My thoughts were suddenly cut off as we entered the room.

"NO! DAMN IT!" Sven shouted and punched the wall in frustration, looking at a huge gaping hole in the wall. "They took it..." He gritted his teeth, staring down at the dark ground.

"Took what?" I asked, stepping closer to Sven.

"I've been on this thing's trail for so long..." Sven began, sighing in a disappointed manner. "The Dark Stones in the Gigaremo's and Miniremo's are only shards, they come from a bigger source, a giant Dark Shard. Or as the legends call it..the Shadow Crystal." Sven explained. "It's a crystal without light, pure darkness."

Pure... Darkness? That can't be good.

"What does Dim Sun plan to do with it? Cut it into a million Dark Shards?" I asked him, leaning up against the rock wall on the opposite side of him.

"I don't know, but the thought of how many more Miniremo's and Gigaremo's Dim Sun could make with this makes me sick." Sven said in disgust, scrunching up his face a little. I couldn't agree more.

"How come the Spiritomb failed to protect the Shadow Crystal?" I wondered out loud, mostly directing that question at Sven.

"I don't think the Spiritomb was guarding it." Sven shook his head, placing his index finger on his lips. "The protector of the Shadow Crystal would have to be a Pokemon that prefers darkness, like Darkrai." Sven explained.

Hmm. You know... Kate's been quite this whole time... That's unlike her. "Hey, Kate. What do you think..." I started to ask as I turned around to face her. "KATE?!" My eyes snapped wide open, and I began to panic as I ran to her. Her eyes were shut tight, her hands were on her head, and she dropped down to the floor on her knees. She looked like she was in severe pain. Espeon was trying to help, but there was some sort of dark power responsible for the headache-like pain, therefore she couldn't soothe it.

"KATE?! KATE, ARE YOU OK?!" I started to freak out, Sven heard the shouting and ran over to us.

"The darkness is coming...and you will all perish in the flames of destruction. There is nothing to be done...you have lost. The darkness is coming." Kate opened her eyes which flashed red for a moment, but then they turned back to blue. Well that was freaky. But, it didn't sound like Kate who was talking... It sounded like a Pokemon using Kate...

Sven didn't hear what she said, but I did. What was that?! And with that, the pain stopped and Kate fainted. I caught her before she hit the ground. I picked her up bridal style and motioned Sven to keep going. I was going to carry Kate back to the Union. Kate...please be ok. We approached a large rusty ladder. There was light at the top of it, so we assumed it was a way out. Espeon teleported us to where the ladder ended, since I was carrying Kate and couldn't climb up myself. When we got to the top, there was an old beat up cabin with a sign up front. The cabin was scorched, it was heavily damaged by what seemed like a fire.

Sven began reading what was left of the charred sign up front. "Al-ru O-l." He read aloud. "Wait... Altru Oil? This is where Altru started...?" Sven wondered out loud, looking up at the cabin. "Come on, Keith. Let's go check it out." Sven ran inside, ushering me to follow.

"Nnngggg..." Kate stirred in her sleep; she was waking up.

"Nice of you to finally join us, Sleeping Beauty." I smirked at Kate as she woke up.

She just glared and hit me on the head after I set her down. OW! Well at least I know this is definitely Kate...

"Keith, what happened...?" She asked me, clutching her aching head. "The last thing I remember was talking to the Spiritomb... And then... My mind goes blank." She said, very confused.

"You don't remember?" I raised an eyebrow, staring at her in shock. That's weird. "Well, we discovered that Dim Sun took the Shadow Crystal, basically a giant Dark Shard. And then you had some severe headache that was causing you serious pain, and then you blacked out. So I carried you out here." I explained.

"Oh, ok." She nodded in understanding, still rubbing at her temples.

I didn't tell her about the part where that headache was the result of a dark Pokemon taking over her mind and warning me that the darkness was coming. Yeah...it's better for her peace of mind that she didn't remember that part. I figured that'd just freak her out.

"Let's go, lovebirds! We don't have all day!" Sven shouted impatiently from inside the cabin.

"WE ARE NOT LOVEBIRDS!" Kate and I yelled in unison, dashing into the burned up shack.

The fire damage was even worse on the inside. Sven and I checked the left side as Kate went to investigate the right side. I looked around the cabin, noticing there wasn't much. A bunch of papers were scattered everywhere; they looked like oil reports from decades ago. Fire damage was all over the walls, giving the shack a charred look. Sven kept looking around as I tripped over a chair, he was staring at all of the Oil Rig maps on the walls.

"Hey, guys! I found something!" Kate yelled from the other side of the shack, and Sven and I ran over to her. She had a thick badly charred green diary in her hands. She handed it to Sven who began examining it. "I found this burned diary. It's damaged pretty badly, but, I can make out words like 'Darkness' and 'Crystal.' We should take this back to the Union so they can restore and examine the rest of the diary." Kate made her point, being rational.

"Good thinking!" Sven grinned, ruffling her hair. Kate just rolled her eyes and punched him in the arm.

**FLUSH!**

Eh? Was that the sound of a toilet flushing...?

Kate just awkwardly scratched the back of her head, turning to look at the both of us once again. "Well either my headache is making me hear things, or that was the sound of a toilet flushing..."

"Second one." Sven and I nodded our heads in unison, looking past Kate and over towards the bathroom door.

**Ker-chunk!**

The bathroom door opened, and out came... What?

"PONTE?!" Kate and I yelled in unison, shocked to see an old Ranger School friend here of all places.

"The Ranger School's one and only conflicted marshmallow boy, at your service..." Ponte blinked, staring at us. "Wait... Kate? Keith? Hey, guys!" Ponte waved and ran over to us; he was wearing a Dim Sun uniform. He glanced down at our Fine Stylers, then blinked a few times. "Since when did you guys become Top Rangers?!" Ponte sounded shocked, but in the good and excited way.

"Never mind that." Kate brushed off his question, staring at him with a confused and flustered look. "Since when did you become Dim Sun?!" Kate asked him, pointing at his uniform.

Ponte raised an eyebrow, then looked down at what he was wearing. "Oh, this uniform? It's Dim Sun's alright. But I quit the day I joined, I didn't agree with their policies. You know me, the conflicted marshmallow boy." Ponte shrugged. "Yeah, they were here until a couple of days ago. They were mining some...coal, maybe?" Ponte scratched the top of his head, not really sure.

This piqued Sven's interest. "Tell me about this, 'coal.'" Sven inquired, crossing his arms with the burned diary still in his hand.

"Oh." Ponte looked over at Sven. "All I know was it was a huge hassle, it took a lot of Pokemon to mine it. A couple higher-ups took off by helicopter with it, but they had something else with them, too. It was a crate, I heard cries coming from it. I couldn't tell if they went to the mountains or to the ocean, though... Sorry I couldn't be of much help..." Ponte sighed, looking down at the floor.

"No! Not at all!" Kate flailed her arms. "That was very helpful, Ponte!" Kate smiled at him, giving Ponte a thumbs up.

Ponte grinned, looking back up from the floor. He glanced around the shack as he spoke. "I've made this cabin my home, it's got a large supply of canned food and a working bathroom. I figure I can stay here while I try to figure out my life." Ponte shrugged, then looked back over at us.

"Sounds like you've got it figured." Sven mused out loud. "Let's go back to the Union, guys." Sven suggested, taking his leave of us and exiting the shack.

Kate and I talked to Ponte for a few more minutes, catching up, and then left the cabin. We were starting to make our way back through the Chroma Highlands when I decided to break the awkward silence.

"Kate, why did that Spiritomb back there call you 'Light bearer?'" I asked her, suspiciously raising an eyebrow and crossing my arms.

She just flinched. "Oh, that...? It was nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing." She brushed it off, rambling the word 'nothing' over and over again, slowly getting quieter.

She's not telling me something... Hmm. It's rare that Kate doesn't tell me something, so when she doesn't...I know that means it's important. I'll stop talking about it for now, but sooner or later, Kate's going to have to tell me. And if she doesn't, well...

Then I'll just have to find out myself.

We exited the Chroma Highlands and made our way down Chroma Road, heading back over to Altru Park once again. From there, we took the Union Road back over to the Ranger Union.

But still... Light bearer? Maybe it really was nothing and I'm just over thinking things...

...maybe.

* * *

**Keith's getting suspicious of Kate, now...but he doesn't know what it is exactly he's figuring out...yet. Uh oh. That could mean trouble for Kate. Will he find out? If so, then when? And how will he react?**

**Ok, so how was this chapter? 6,500 words of editing... *shudder* that took forever. Oh well, it's worth it when I get to see the reviews you guys leave me :D does this chapter make up for how short the last one was? Hope so.**

**Read, review, and OF COURSE DON'T FORGET TO ENJOY THE BOOK! XD love you guys! You're all wonderful and fantastic, whether you review or not! Good-bye for now~! **


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